sprocket

== English == === Alternative forms === splocket === Etymology === Unknown. First attested in the 16th century. Perhaps related to Italian rocchetto (“spool”), spoletta (“spool”), sprone (“spur”), or English spoke, spike, spur. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈspɹɒkɪt/ Rhymes: -ɒkɪt === Noun === sprocket (plural sprockets) (mechanical engineering) A toothed wheel that enmeshes with a chain or other perforated band. Synonym: sprocket wheel Coordinate terms: gear wheel, cogwheel (usually in the plural) The tooth of such a wheel. (architecture) A flared extension at the base of a sloped roof. A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product. Synonym: widget ==== Usage notes ==== Although sprockets are sometimes referred to as gears, there is a technical distinction between the two: sprockets interact with chains, whereas gears interact with other gears. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === sprocket on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === pet rocks