mechanism

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Any mechanical means for the conversion or control of motion, or the transmission or control of power.
2. (countable, uncountable)Any combination of cams, gears, links, belts, chains and logical mechanical elements.

   “A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.”

3. (countable, uncountable)A group of entities, such as objects, that interact together.

   “A site that carried [sexually explicit] material, but that gated it off from children through credit cards or other mechanisms to verify the age of the user, would have an acceptable defense under the act.”

   “Whatever the mechanism, attempts to starve the beast through revenue shortages somehow seem to make the beast all the more voracious.”

   “A very rare polymorphism in the prion protein gene recently has been identified that appears to protect against prion disease; this finding, in addition to providing greater understanding of the prionlike mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, might lead to potential treatments.”

   “Outside the boundaries of the PTEs [Passenger Transport Executives], there was little mechanism to re-open routes, and despite a growing realisation that the lack of transport connectivity was a big contributor towards social deprivation and poor economic performance, there was little government policy recognition.”

4. (countable, uncountable)A mental, physical, or chemical process.
5. (countable, uncountable)Any process of, or system designed to manage useful energy conversion.
6. (countable, uncountable)The theory that all natural phenomena can be explained by physical causes.