mechanical

Everyday

1. To do with machines or worked by machines, with moving parts like gears, levers and wheels. tree →
2. Done without thinking, like a machine, out of habit. tree →
3. Mechanical engineering: designing and building machines. tree →

In the lessons

In science and design lessons, mechanical toys use cams, gears and pulleys; a mechanical problem is something wrong with a machine. In everyday life, a car breakdown may be a mechanical fault. In writing, a mechanical answer is done without thought. Phrases: mechanical pencil, mechanical engineer, mechanical problem.

Examples

• The old clock has mechanical parts inside. tree →
• We built a mechanical toy with a cam. tree →
• The bus stopped because of a mechanical problem. tree →
• My mechanical pencil never needs sharpening. tree →
• She answered in a mechanical voice, as if she wasn't listening. tree →
• A mechanical engineer designs machines and engines. tree →
• The mechanical toys were very superior, and looked down upon every one else; they were full of modern ideas, and pretended they were real. tree →

Note

Adverb: mechanically. Related: mechanic (a person who fixes cars and machines), mechanism (the working parts).