cogwheels
nounUK /ˈkɒɡwiːlz/
US /ˈkɑːɡwiːlz/
Cogwheels are wheels with teeth that fit together to make machines move.
The old clock's cogwheels turned slowly and clicked with each tick.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The toothed wheels inside a mechanical device considered as a group.
He opened the watch to reveal a tiny world of brass cogwheels.
3. A person or group seen as a small part of a larger system.
In the corporate machine, we were just cogwheels turning without question.
4. Parts of a bicycle or engine that transmit motion through interlocking teeth.
The bike's cogwheels needed oiling after the muddy ride.