Meaning & use
cogs
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“cogs” is a form of “cog”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Plural of cog: the teeth or toothed wheels on a machine that fit together to pass on movement.
Grammar: Plural form: the cogs turn.
Patterns
- the cogs of something
The cogs in the old clock slipped.
Oil the cogs so the machine runs smoothly.
Tiny cogs inside the watch moved the hands.
nounpluralfigurative
People or parts that play a small but needed role in a larger organization or system.
Grammar: Often figurative: cogs in a machine.
Patterns
- cogs in the machine
Workers sometimes feel like cogs in a large company.
Every department is one of the cogs that keeps the firm running.
abbreviationuncountablefinancebusiness
In accounting, short for cost of goods sold, the direct cost of making the products a company sells.
Grammar: Usually written COGS in capitals and used as a singular figure.
COGS rose because of higher material prices.
The report subtracts COGS from revenue to find gross profit.
Common combinations
- cogs in the machine
- They felt like cogs in the machine.
- turn the cogs
- The key turned the cogs inside.
- cogs and wheels
- The case held brass cogs and wheels.
- cogs of industry
- Small shops are the cogs of industry here.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gears
- Common American word for toothed wheels in machines.
- sprockets
- Wheels with teeth that engage a chain, as on a bicycle.
Word family
Commonly confused: cogs or cogs vs gears?
cogs vs cogs vs gears
A cog can be a single tooth, while a gear is the whole wheel.
Practice
In 'He felt like one of the cogs in a big machine', cogs means:
Choose one answer.
Figuratively, a cog is a small replaceable part of a bigger system.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cogs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.