mainspring
[ meyn-spring ]
/ ˈmeɪnˌsprɪŋ /
noun
the principal spring in a mechanism, as in a watch.
the chief motive power; the impelling cause.
RELATED WORDS
emotion, motivation, impulse, influence, idea, aim, intention, intent, rationale, consideration, passion, feeling, cause, provenance, element, motive, source, connection, ancestry, ancestor
Nearby words
- mainmast,
- mainour,
- mains,
- mainsail,
- mainsheet,
- mainstay,
- mainstream,
- mainstream corporation tax,
- mainstreamer,
- mainstreaming
Origin of mainspring
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for mainspring
mainspring
/ (ˈmeɪnˌsprɪŋ) /
noun
the principal power spring of a mechanism, esp in a watch or clock
the chief cause or motive of something
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
mainspring
1590s, of watches, clocks, etc., from main (adj.) + spring (n.3). Figurative use from 1690s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper