> The 'sprocket' is the projection or tooth on the wheel. > A 'cog' is a wheel with a series of projections, or > sprockets.
I must admit that every dictionary I've consulted has it the other way around, as does the "Complete Guide To The Chain":
http://chain-guide.com/
I also submit the entries in the Glossary compiled by the late Sheldon Brown. I didn't agree with him on everything, but he was truly punctilious about the use of language:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
BTW (not that they necessarily have the last word on English usage) but currently Shimano seems to be using the term "sprocket" to refer to those toothed disks:
http://bike.shimano.com/
BTW the first time I heard the term "cog" it was in reference to mountain railways, rather than bicycles.
Best regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)