June 18, 2016

hinge

A hinge holds a door on a frame for a doorway. It’s screwed onto the frame and the door. A hinge is held together with a pin. The purpose of a hinge is to allow the door to swing.

• The door was squeaky, so I oiled the hinges.
• We needed to take the door off, so we pulled out the pins on the hinges.
• If the door doesn’t close properly, it’s possible that the hinges need to be refastened.

This is a hinge.

Sometimes this word is used as a verb. In this case, "hinge" means "depend on."

• The outcome of the trial will hinge on the presentation of evidence.
• Her decision to get married hinges on her parents’ approval of the marriage.
• Whether or not they get the loan hinges on their credit rating.

The word "unhinged" is an adjective that you can use to describe a person’s erratic or crazy behavior.

• Some of Donald Trump’s opponents have made the claim that he’s unhinged.
• The woman became unhinged as she went through the security line at the airport.
• No one wants to work with Darryl because he becomes unhinged so easily.

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