a cog in the machine

Someone or something that is functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within a larger operation or organization. I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the machine anymore!

a cog in the machine/wheel

one part of a large system or organization He was just a small cog in the large wheel of organised crime. This warehouse is an important cog in our distribution machine.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Jaume	ZHOW-mə	Catalan
Jepson	JEP-sən	English (Rare)
Yves	EEV	French
Ludoviko	loo-do-VEE-ko	Esperanto
Caerwyn	-	Welsh
Lorenza	-	Italian, Spanish