lever

¹ American  

[lev-er, lee-ver] / ˈlɛv ər, ˈli vər /

noun

1. Mechanics. a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third.

2. a tool, as a pry or a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.

   There's a small lever in my toolbox that'll be perfect for prying off these narrow moldings.

3. a handle or bar that is manipulated to operate, control, or adjust a machine, mechanism, etc..

   Pushing down the lever on the left will automatically open the door.

4. a means or agency of persuading or of achieving an end.

   Saying that the chairman of the board likes the plan is just a lever to get us to support it.

5. Horology. the pallet of an escapement.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to move with or apply a lever.

   to lever a rock; to lever mightily and to no avail.

Lever ² American  

[lee-ver] / ˈli vər /

noun

1. Charles James Cornelius O'Dowd, 1806–72, Irish novelist and essayist.

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lever British  

/ ˈliːvə /

noun

1. a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum, used to transfer a force to a load and usually to provide a mechanical advantage

2. any of a number of mechanical devices employing this principle

3. a means of exerting pressure in order to accomplish something; strategic aid

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verb

1. to prise or move (an object) with a lever

lever Scientific  

/ lĕv′ər /

1. A simple machine consisting of a bar that pivots on a fixed support, or fulcrum, and is used to transmit torque. A force applied by pushing down on one end of the lever results in a force pushing up at the other end. If the fulcrum is not positioned in the middle of the lever, then the force applied to one end will not yield the same force on the other, since the torque must be the same on either side of the fulcrum. Levers, like gears, can thus be used to increase the force available from a mechanical power source.

2. See more at fulcrum See also mechanical advantage

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Other Word Forms

• lever-like adjective
• relever verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of lever

1250–1300; Middle English levere, levour for *lever < Anglo-French; Old French levier, equivalent to lev ( er ) to lift (< Latin levāre to lighten, lift, verbal derivative of levis light) + -ier -ier ²

Example Sentences

Her knockings were made by a floorboard on a lever that she pressed with her foot.

From Literature

The company does have long-term ambitions to open as many as 5,000 new U.S. coffeehouses, but in the near term it needs to pull internal growth levers.

From The Wall Street Journal

For the Bindery team to make that happen, she said, “they pulled levers I can’t imagine would be possible in a more traditional model.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mortgage rates, one of the main levers of homebuying costs, have moved down significantly since the year began.

From Barron's

Mortgage rates, one of the main levers of homebuying costs, have moved down significantly since the year began.

From Barron's

Related Words

• crowbar
• pedal
• tool