hinge

[hinj] /hɪndʒ/

noun

a jointed device or flexible piece on which a door, gate, shutter, lid, or other attached part turns, swings, or moves.

a natural anatomical joint at which motion occurs around a transverse axis, as that of the knee or a bivalve shell.

that on which something is based or depends; pivotal consideration or factor.

Also called mount. Philately. a gummed sticker for affixing a stamp to a page of an album, so folded as to form a hinge, allowing the stamp to be raised to reveal the text beneath.

verb (used without object), hinged, hinging.

to be dependent or contingent on, or as if on, a hinge (usually followed by on or upon):

Everything hinges on his decision.

verb (used with object), hinged, hinging.

to furnish with or attach by a hinge or hinges.

to attach as if by a hinge.

to make or consider as dependent upon; predicate:

He hinged his action on future sales.

Origin

1250-1300; Middle English henge; cognate with Low German heng(e), Middle Dutch henge hinge; akin to hang

Related forms

hingeless, adjective

hingelike, adjective

rehinge, verb (used with object), rehinged, rehinging.

well-hinged, adjective

Synonyms

5. rest, swing, pivot, depend.

Examples from the web for hinge

Then pivot the hinge to disengage the roller from the track.
He based his design for the hinge-and-pivot mechanism of the boat's wings, for example, on his observations of the human shoulder.
Maintaining the upswing will hinge on businesses investing and exporting more.
The hinge allows the rack to fold out for use and back inside the cabinet for storage.
In other words, a snug-fitting, non-squeaking hinge is a prayer.
Its short-term survival seems to be more hinge on pragmatism than real convictions.
Experts now believe that the mystery may hinge on a bizarre detail of the crime scene.
Cover with canvas and hinge together to make a screen.
Does the value of someone's life hinge on whether or not there are the resources to care for him.
Mind you, the specifics of their appearance hinge on their motives.

British Dictionary definitions for hinge

hinge

/hɪndʒ/

noun

a device for holding together two parts such that one can swing relative to the other, typically having two interlocking metal leaves held by a pin about which they pivot

(anatomy) a type of joint, such as the knee joint, that moves only backwards and forwards; a joint that functions in only one plane Technical name ginglymus

a similar structure in invertebrate animals, such as the joint between the two halves of a bivalve shell

something on which events, opinions, etc, turn

(philately) Also called mount. a small thin transparent strip of gummed paper for affixing a stamp to a page

verb

(transitive) to attach or fit a hinge to (something)

(intransitive; usually foll by on or upon) to depend (on)

(intransitive) to hang or turn on or as if on a hinge

Derived Forms

hinged, adjective
hingeless, adjective
hingelike, adjective

Word Origin

C13: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch henge; see hang

Word Origin and History for hinge

c.1300, "the axis of the earth;" late 14c. as "movable joint of a gate or door," not found in Old English, cognate with Middle Dutch henghe "hook, handle," Middle Low German henge "hinge," from Proto-Germanic *hanhan (transitive), *hangen (intransitive), from PIE *konk- "to hang" (see hang (v.)). The notion is the thing from which a door hangs.

c.1600, "to bend," from hinge (n.). Meaning "turn on, depend" is from 1719. Related: Hinged; hinging.

hinge in Medicine

hinge (hĭnj)
n.
A jointed or flexible device that allows the turning or pivoting of a part, such as a door or lid, on a stationary frame.

Slang definitions & phrases for hinge

hinge

noun

A look or glance; gander (1930s+)

Related Terms

get a hinge at

hinge in the Bible

(Heb. tsir), that on which a door revolves. "Doors in the East turn rather on pivots than on what we term hinges. In Syria, and especially in the Hauran, there are many ancient doors, consisting of stone slabs with pivots carved out of the same piece inserted in sockets above and below, and fixed during the building of the house" (Prov. 26:14).