Word
Definition
n. a metal piece that connects two things, like a door and a wall, so that one of them can swing open and shut.
n. a jointed device or flexible piece on which a door, gate, or lid turns or swings. Often used metaphorically to describe a central point on which an event or situation depends.
Examples
“The door squeaks because the hinge is rusty.”
“The carpenter carefully aligned the hinge to ensure the heavy oak door would swing smoothly without catching on the floor.”
“The success of the entire diplomatic mission seemed to rest on a single hinge of policy regarding international trade tariffs.”
Examples
simple
“The door squeaks because the hinge is rusty.”
contextual
“The carpenter carefully aligned the hinge to ensure the heavy oak door would swing smoothly without catching on the floor.”
complex
“The success of the entire diplomatic mission seemed to rest on a single hinge of policy regarding international trade tariffs.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'hinge on' when functioning as a verb to indicate total dependency.
Real-World Examples
“At the same time, the narratives did not hinge on chance alone.” “A great taco doesn’t hinge on one specific tortilla-making technique.” Etymology
From Middle English henge (“hinge”), from Old English henġ or henġe (“hinge”), from Proto-West Germanic hangiju or hangī; compare Old English *henġe- in henġeclif (“overhanging cliff”), Old English henġen (“hanging; that upon which a thing is hung”). Akin to Scots heenge (“hinge”), Saterland Frisian Hänge (“hinge”), Low German henge (“hook, hinge, handle”), Dutch heng (“moving leaf of a hinge”), geheng (“hinge”), Middle Dutch henghe, hanghe (“hook, hinge, handle”), Scots hingel (“any attachment by which something is hung or fastened”), Dutch hengel (“hook”), hengsel (“handle”), dialectal German Hängel (“hook, joint”), German Henkel (“handle, hook”), Danish hængsel (“hinge”), Faroese hongsl (“hinge”), Icelandic hengsli (“hinge”), Norwegian hengsel (“hinge”), Swedish hängsle (“suspender”), Old English hōn (“to hang”), hangian (“to cause to hang, hang up”). More at hang.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hinge
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0