English

gearwork

From gear + work.

A compound of gear + work

Proto-Germanic *garwijaną ‘to prepare’

Old Norse gervi ‘gear, apparel’

Middle English gere ‘equipment, gear’

English gear

Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- ‘to make’

…

Proto-Germanic *werką

Proto-West Germanic *werk

Old English weorc ‘labor’

Middle English work

English work

Today it means

noun A mechanical assembly of gears.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / gearwork