fulcrum

[ fool-kruhm, fuhl- ]

/ ˈfʊl krəm, ˈfʌl- /

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noun, plural ful·crums, ful·cra

[fool-kruh, fuhl-]. /ˈfʊl krə, ˈfʌl-/.

the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns in moving a body.

any prop or support.

Zoology. any of various structures in an animal serving as a hinge or support.

verb (used with object)

to fit with a fulcrum; put a fulcrum on.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fulcrum

1665–75; <Latin: back-support of a couch, apparently for fulctrum, equivalent to fulc(īre) to hold up, support + -trum noun suffix of instrument

Words nearby fulcrum

Fulani, Fulani Empire, Fulbright, Fulbright Act, Fulbright scholarships, fulcrum, fulfil, fulfill, fulfilling, fulfillment, fulgent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fulcrum in a sentence

The simplest versions consist of a metal beam from which hang two pans at equal distances from the central support or fulcrum.
How to Weigh Truth With a Balance Scale|Pradeep Mutalik|June 27, 2022|Quanta Magazine
If you think about decarbonization and climate and the environment, technology is the fulcrum.
Michael Dell Has Been a Tech CEO for 34 Years. He Has Some Advice For Younger Founders|John Simons|October 31, 2021|Time
We found a highly rated budget shovel that features a new take on shovel design—offering a second lower handle and short arm to act as a fulcrum and offset the energy required to throw the snow off the shovel blade.
Best snow shovel: Clear your driveway fast|PopSci Commerce Team|January 19, 2021|Popular-Science
Even in areas of the Northeast traditionally known more for summer and winter activities, fall has become an unexpected fulcrum of seasonal tourism.
Pick Your Poison|Nick Mancall-Bitel|September 3, 2020|Eater

Less than 18 months after the 2012 election, the fulcrum of American politics rests once again in Central Florida.
Florida’s Midterm Warm Up|Ben Jacobs|March 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is, for these two sons, both born in 1964, the fulcrum for their great labors.
Michael Hainey and Aleksandar Hemon’s Chicago Dreams|Chris Wallace|March 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The lever of dissent has to be long, and the fulcrum—the immovable determination of the American president—has to be steady.
Ronald Reagan’s Lessons for the Chen Guangcheng Case|Walter Reich|May 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.
Ronald Reagan’s Lessons for the Chen Guangcheng Case|Walter Reich|May 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The paper was, as Gleick writes, “a fulcrum around which the world began to turn.”
Drowning in Beeps|Nicholas Carr|March 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
With this fulcrum Bayanne had been moved to negotiate a formal treaty containing all Napoleon's stipulations.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
That human individuality may be maintained, man is uplifted only over the fulcrum of his own will.
The Arena|Various
Once allow them to get a fulcrum and they would move the world.
The English Utilitarians, Volume II (of 3)|Leslie Stephen
The fulcrum must be placed above the centre of gravity of the beam.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
The centre of gravity must be as near as possible to the fulcrum.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for fulcrum

fulcrum

/ (ˈfʊlkrəm, ˈfʌl-) /

noun plural -crums or -cra (-krə)

the pivot about which a lever turns

something that supports or sustains; prop

a spinelike scale occurring in rows along the anterior edge of the fins in primitive bony fishes such as the sturgeon

Word Origin for fulcrum

C17: from Latin: foot of a couch, bedpost, from fulcire to prop up

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for fulcrum

fulcrum

[ ful′krəm ]

The point or support on which a lever turns. The position of the fulcrum, relative to the positions of the load and effort, determines the type of lever.

Cultural definitions for fulcrum

fulcrum

[ (fool-kruhm, ful-kruhm) ]

The point on which a lever is balanced when a force is exerted.

fulcrum

Origin of fulcrum

Words nearby fulcrum

Words related to fulcrum

How to use fulcrum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fulcrum

Word Origin for fulcrum

Scientific definitions for fulcrum

Cultural definitions for fulcrum