Link Centre Dictionary

linchpin

linch·pin

UK/ˈlɪnt͡ʃˌpɪn/ US/ˈlɪˌntʃpɪn/ rare

noun

1.

a central cohesive source of support and stability

  • “faith is his anchor”
  • “the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money”
  • “he is the linchpin of this firm”
Synonyms
2.

pin inserted through an axletree to hold a wheel on

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English lynspin, compound of lins (“axletree”) and pin, from Old English lynis (“lynchpin”), from Proto-West Germanic *lunis, from Proto-Germanic *lunaz - compare German Lünse and Dutch luns - from Proto-Indo-European. Possible further cognates are Welsh olwyn (“wheel”), Old Armenian ողն (ołn, “back; spine, backbone”) and Sanskrit आणि (āṇí, “lynchpin”). Figurative use attested from the mid-20th century.

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.