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| hinge [ hinj ] (plural hing·es) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. joint: a movable joint of metal or plastic used to fasten two things, e.g. a box and its lid, together and allow one of them to pivot
  The hinges on the door need oiling.
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2. zoology ligament: a part in animals that operates like a hinge, e.g. the ligament that opens and closes the two halves of a clam or other bivalve mollusk
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3. anatomy
Same as hinge joint
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4. something vital: something on which a subsequent action or an outcome depends
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5. sticky paper strip: a thin gummed paper strip that is folded in half to affix postage stamps to the pages of an album
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| [13th century. Probably ultimately < Germanic] |
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| hinged adjective |
| hinge·less adjective |
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