clevis
noun
Forms clevises clevy
- noun A U-shaped coupling having holes at each end, through which a bolt is run; used especially to fit attachments to a tractor or other vehicle as it allows a degree of rotation about the bolt.
Etymology
First attested in the 1590s. Ultimately related to cleave. Exact origin unknown; probably derived from the verb cleave. If so, the word ultimately may stem from Scandinavian: compare Old Norse kljúfa (“to split”), Old Norse klofi (“a forked stick”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A piece of metal bent in the form of an oxbow, with the two ends perforated to receive a pin, used on the end of the tongue of a plow, wagen, etc., to attach it to a draft chain, whiffletree, etc.; --called also clavel, clevy.
Etymology [Cf. Cleave to adhere, Clavel.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “clevis”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details