mechanic
/məˈkænɪk/noun, adjective
Skilled worker who repairs and maintains machinery
From Greek mēkhanē (Machine).
Lineage
The story
A mechanic began life not as someone covered in engine grease, but as an ingenious problem-solver. Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ) meant a device or contrivance—anything from a practical tool to a clever scheme—and μηχανικός described someone “full of resources.” The word traveled through Latin mechanicus and Old French before reaching Middle English, where it could refer broadly to a person practicing a handicraft; by the early 20th century, machinery had narrowed the job title toward engines and repairs. The same Greek family also gave English machine and mechanism, so every mechanic is, etymologically, a professional descendant of the person who knows how to make a stubborn contraption obey.
Modern usage
A person regarded as useful or dangerous to have as an enemy; also, someone making precision guesses from unreliable information.
- Heard in
- informal slang
- See
- Urban Dictionary entries describe a mechanic as an especially valuable friend or formidable enemy, and as a dubious guesser.