Corporate Ladder Jargon

noun A cog is a toothed wheel or bar that engages with another toothed part to transmit motion in a machine.

preposition In this phrase, 'in' is a preposition that shows the relationship between 'cog' and 'machine'.

article The articles 'a' and 'the' are used before 'cog' and 'machine' to indicate that they are singular nouns.

• As a low-level employee, I often feel like just a cog in the machine of this large corporation.
• At work, I sometimes feel like I'm just a cog in the machine, doing the same tasks every day.
• I hate feeling like I'm just a cog in the machine at my job, doing the same thing over and over.
• In the grand scheme of things, we are all just cogs in the machine of society, playing our roles.