Cogwheel vs. Gear

A gear wheel

(When used attributively) Something behaving in similar, jerky, manner as a cogwheel, e.g. cogwheel respiration as a side effect of hyperbaric medicine

A wheel with cogs or teeth; a gear wheel. See Illust. of Gearing.

a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion

(uncountable) Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor.

Clothing; garments.

(obsolete) Goods; property; household items.

(countable) A wheel with grooves (teeth) engraved on the outer circumference, such that two such devices can interlock and convey motion from one to the other; a gear wheel.

A particular combination or choice of interlocking gears, such that a particular gear ratio is achieved.

A configuration of the transmission of a motor car so as to achieve a particular ratio of engine to axle torque.

(slang) Recreational drugs, including steroids.

Stuff.

(obsolete) Business matters; affairs; concern.

Anything worthless; nonsense; rubbish.

To provide with gearing; to fit with gears in order to achieve a desired gear ratio.

To be in, or come into, gear.

To dress; to put gear on; to harness.

(usually with to or toward(s)) To design or devise (something) so as to be suitable (for a particular type of person or a particular purpose).

Example: ‘This shop is not really geared towards people of our age.’; ‘They have geared the hotel mainly at tourists.’;

great or fantastic

Clothing; garments; ornaments.

Example: ‘Array thyself in thy most gorgeous gear.’;

Goods; property; household stuff.

Example: ‘Homely gear and common ware.’;

Whatever is prepared for use or wear; manufactured stuff or material.

Example: ‘Clad in a vesture of unknown gear.’;

The harness of horses or cattle; trapping.

Warlike accouterments.

Manner; custom; behavior.

Business matters; affairs; concern.

Example: ‘Thus go they both together to their gear.’;

A toothed wheel, or cogwheel; as, a spur gear, or a bevel gear; also, toothed wheels, collectively.

See 1st Jeer (b).

Anything worthless; stuff; nonsense; rubbish.

Example: ‘That servant of his that confessed and uttered this gear was an honest man.’;

To dress; to put gear on; to harness.

To provide with gearing.

To adapt toward some specific purpose; as, they geared their advertising for maximum effect among teenagers.

To be in, or come into, gear.

a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion

a mechanism for transmitting motion by gears for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle)

equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport etc.

set the level or character of;

Example: ‘She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience’;

a toothed wheel that works with others to alter the relation between the speed of a driving mechanism (such as the engine of a vehicle) and the speed of the driven parts (the wheels)

Example: ‘a racing bike with ten-speed gears’;

a particular setting of engaged gears

Example: ‘he was belting along in fifth gear’;

used in reference to the level of effort or intensity expended in an activity or undertaking

Example: ‘the play moves down a gear whenever he walks off stage’; ‘now the champions moved up a gear’; ‘from this weekend, the campaign is expected to step up a gear’;

equipment or apparatus that is used for a particular purpose

Example: ‘camping gear’;

clothing, especially of a specified kind

Example: ‘designer gear’;

personal possessions and clothes

Example: ‘I told her to come back to my place with all her gear’;

illegal drugs

Example: ‘Murray got him some gear’;

design or adjust the gears in a machine to give a specified speed or power output

Example: ‘the vehicle's geared too high for serious off-road use’;

A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called cogs), which mesh with another toothed part to transmit torque. A gear may also be known informally as a cog.