mechanism

A machine or mechanical appliance.

The arrangement of connected parts in a machine.

A system of parts that operate or interact like those of a machine.

An instrument or a process, physical or mental, by which something is done or comes into being.

A habitual manner of acting to achieve an end.

A usually unconscious mental and emotional pattern that shapes behavior in a given situation or environment.

The sequence of steps in a chemical reaction.

The doctrine that all natural phenomena are explicable by material causes and mechanical principles.

The structure of a machine, engine, or other contrivance for controlling or utilizing natural forces; the arrangement and relation of parts, or the parts collectively, in any machine, tool, or other contrivance; means of mechanical action; machinery; hence, the structure of anything that is conceived to resemble a machine.