mech

See also: mech., Mech, Mech., and měch

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛk

Noun

mech (countable and uncountable, plural mechs)

1. (science fiction) A large piloted combat robot.
2. (science fiction) A robot.

   Synonym: robot

   Hyponyms: android, mechanoid

   • 1999, Analog Science Fiction & Fact - Volume 119, page 55:

     But I reprogrammed the recognition codes, and they won't treat him as Roubor Transic, nor will they obey any order he gives them. He's Mr. X to the mechs, a casual human to be taken care of just as well as possible, but never, never released.

   • 2001, Robert I. Katz, Edward Maret: A Novel of the Future, page 100:

     He particularly liked the box full of "companions," small, hand-held mechs with advanced AI functions, programmed as individual advice and information systems.

   • 2006, Lou Anders, Futureshocks, page 75:

     She grew up in Lower Manhattan, suffering the impeccably programmed attentions of the nanny mechs that did the work her mother and father couldn't be bothered with.

   • 2019, Ron S. Nolan, Met Chron New-Humans:

     After a round of hugs and kisses, they headed to the lounge where Genie met them at the door and escorted them to the new VIP section followed by a mech that took their drink orders.

3. Clipping of mechanic.
   • 1979, Daved V. Arel, “Switchitis”, in Mech, page 6:

     Yes, Switchitis. It's a highly contagious disease which can affect all propeller mechs. This disease can be costly, but usually not to the mechs. They're just the carriers. The people most affected by this disease are the flightcrews – those fearless adventurers who go flying around in machines that you mechs have worked on.

4. (uncountable) Clipping of mechanics.
5. (cycling) Clipping of (derailleur) mechanism.

   front/rear mech

   • 2011, Fred Milson, Complete Bike Maintenance, MVP Books, →ISBN, page 88:

     To fit a braze-on front mech without breaking the chain, remove the nut and bolt from the chain cage, as shown.

   • 2015, Chris Boardman, The Biography of the Modern Bike: The Ultimate History of Bike Design, Hachette, →ISBN, page 54:

     Campagnolo made one more giant step forward when the company developed the first parallelogram rear mechanism—the Gran Sport—in 1951. Its parallelogram action and double jockey wheels are how all rear mechanisms (or rear mechs for short) operate today.

Derived terms

• stat mech

See also

• mecha
• CAS

Adjective

mech

1. Abbreviation of mechanical.
2. Abbreviation of mechanized.

Anagrams

• Chem., Emch, chem, chem.

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech mech, from Proto-Slavic *mъxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛx]
• Rhymes: -ɛx

Noun

mech m inan

1. moss

Declension

Declension of mech (velar masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	mech	mechy
genitive	mechu	mechů
dative	mechu	mechům
accusative	mech	mechy
vocative	mechu	mechy
locative	mechu	meších
instrumental	mechem	mechy

Derived terms

• mecháček
• mechovec
• mechovka
• mechový
• omšelý

 

Further reading

• “mech”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “mech”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “mech”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Lower Sorbian

mech

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mъxъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛx/, [mæx]

Noun

mech m inan

1. moss (plants of the division Bryophyta)

Declension

Declension of mech

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	mech	mecha	mechy
Genitive	mecha	mechowu	mechow
Dative	mechoju	mechoma	mecham
Accusative	mech	mecha	mechy
Instrumental	mechom	mechoma	mechami
Locative	mechu	mechoma	mechach

Further reading

• Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928) “mech”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
• Starosta, Manfred (1999) “mech”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German mich, from Old High German mih.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meχ/, [məɕ]

Pronoun

mech

1. first-person singular, accusative: me

   Kënnt Dir mech verstoen? — Can you understand me?

2. first-person singular, reflexive: myself

   Ech hu mech blesséiert — I have hurt myself

Declension

Luxembourgish personal pronouns

		nominative		accusative		dative		reflexive
		str.	unstr.	str.	unstr.	str.	unstr.
1st person singular		ech	—	mech	—	mir	mer	like dat. and acc.
2nd person singular (informal)		du	de	dech	—	dir	der	like dat. and acc.
2nd person singular (formal)		Dir	Der	Iech	Iech [əɕ]	Iech	Iech [əɕ]	Iech
3rd person singular	m	hien	en	hien	en	him	em	sech
	f	si	se	si	se	hir	er	sech
	n	hatt	et ('t)	hatt	et ('t)	him	em	sech
1st person plural		mir	mer	eis (ons)	—	eis (ons)	—	eis (ons)
2nd person plural		dir	der	iech	iech [əɕ]	iech	iech [əɕ]	iech
3rd person plural		si	se	si	se	hinnen	en	sech

Middle English

Verb

mech

1. Alternative form of macchen

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish mech, from Proto-Slavic *mъxъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *muśas, from Proto-Indo-European *músos, from the root *mews- (“moss”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛx/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛx
• Syllabification: mech
• Homophone: Mech

Noun

mech m inan (diminutive meszek)

1. moss

Declension

Declension of mech

	singular	plural
nominative	mech	mchy
genitive	mchu	mchów
dative	mchowi	mchom
accusative	mech	mchy
instrumental	mchem	mchami
locative	mchu	mchach
vocative	mchu	mchy

Derived terms

adjectives

• mchowaty
• mchowy
• mechaty
• mszasty
• mszysty
• omszały

 

nouns

• mszak
• opowieść z mchu i paproci

 

verbs

• mechacić impf
• mszyć pf
• omszeć pf

 

Further reading

• mech in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• mech in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mě̑xъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛx/

Noun

mech m inan

1. bag
2. bellows

Declension

Declension of mech

	singular	plural
nominative	mech	mechy
genitive	mecha	mechov
dative	mechu	mechom
accusative	mech	mechy
locative	mechu	mechoch
instrumental	mechom	mechmi

Derived terms

• miešok
• mechúr

Further reading

• “mech”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2024

Yurok

Etymology

From Proto-Algic *mehše (“fire”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /metʃ/, [mɛ̞tʃ]

Noun

mech

1. fire