noun
sprocket
SPRO-kiht
noun
1
A toothed wheel that meshes with a chain or perforated belt to drive it.
"The bike chain slipped off the rear sprocket."
"Film projectors use sprockets to pull the film through frame by frame."
2
A placeholder name used for a generic, unspecified, or made-up product.
"The textbook example used "widgets and sprockets" as a stand-in company's products."
How to Use Sprocket
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA toothed wheel that grips a chain or belt to move it, like on a bicycle or in machinery.
Common pairings
rear sprocket
sprocket wheel
chain and sprocket
Word Forms
sprockets plural
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The bike chain slipped off the rear _____.
Etymology
Origin uncertain; first recorded in the 1500s, possibly linked to Italian words for "spool" or "spur", or to English "spoke" and "spike".