I. mə̇ˈkanik, -nēk adjective
Etymology: probably from Middle French mechanique, mecaṅique, adjective & noun, from Latin mechanicus, from Greek mēchanikos, from mēchanē machine + -ikos -ic — more at machine
1. : of or relating to hand work or manual skill
fighting is, indeed, a mechanic trade — Douglas Jerrold
2. archaic
a. : of or relating to laborers or artisans
b. : base , coarse , vulgar
3.
a. : having or resembling the action of a machine
b. : resembling a machine in routine, dull, or involuntary performance : automatic , uninspired
from blank to blank a threadless way I pushed mechanic feet — Emily Dickinson
4. : agile, inventive, or resourceful like a good workman
a roving artisan who lives by his mechanic wits — Carl Van Doren
5. : of, relating to, or constituting mechanistic thought or theory
the dull mechanic view of utility — Fortune
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from Middle French mechanique, mecanique
1. obsolete
a. : manual labor or employment
b. : handicraft
2.
a. : a manual worker : artisan
these Englishmen had not been mechanics or fishermen or sailors in England — H.E.Scudder
carpenters, masons, and other mechanics — J.R.Dalzell
b. : a man skilled in the construction or operation of machines or vehicles run by machines : machinist
the machines are placed in the hands of four well-trained mechanics who do the assembling and make the final adjustments — Geyer's Topics
automobile mechanic
c. archaic : a base or vulgar fellow : plebeian
slaves and “base mechanics” — John Dewey
3. : a safety belt used in practicing for a trapeze performance
4. : a dishonest manipulator of cards, dice, or other gaming implements