fulcrum
/ˈfʊlkɹəm/ noun, proper noun
Forms fulcrums fulcra
- noun (mechanics) The support about which a lever pivots. “It is possible to flick food across the table using your fork as a lever and your finger as a fulcrum.”
- noun (figurative) A crux or pivot; a central point.
- proper noun (military) NATO code name for the Soviet MiG-29 aircraft.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin fulcrum (“bedpost, foot of a couch”), from fulciō (“prop up, support”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A prop or support.
- noun That by which a lever is sustained, or about which it turns in lifting or moving a body.
Etymology [L., bedpost, fr. fulcire to prop.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fulcrum”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details