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me·chan·ics

(mĭ-kănĭks)

1. (used with a sing. verb) The branch of physics that is concerned with the analysis of the action of forces on matter or material systems.

2. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Design, construction, and use of machinery or mechanical structures.

3. (used with a pl. verb) The functional and technical aspects of an activity: The mechanics of football are learned with practice.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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