mainspring
Americannoun
-
the principal spring in a mechanism, as in a watch.
-
the chief motive power; the impelling cause.
noun
-
the principal power spring of a mechanism, esp in a watch or clock
-
the chief cause or motive of something
Etymology
Origin of mainspring
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its hairspring, mainspring, ruby bearings and a few other parts were sourced from Switzerland.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2023
The mechanisms of the league’s revenue — the television deals that are its mainspring, the creative marketing initiatives, the sponsorships — are driven by the owners, the entrepreneurial dealmakers such as Jones and Bob Kraft.
From Washington Post • Nov. 14, 2017
That offensive prank is the mainspring of the movie.
From The New Yorker • Oct. 21, 2014
If true, Bicep’s detection of gravitational waves would confirm a theory that the universe began with a violent outward antigravitational swoosh known as inflation, the mainspring of Big Bang theorizing for the last three decades.
From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2014
“It’s how my father taught me. If I don’t wind it consistently, it won’t keep time as well. And if I overwind it, the mainspring might break.”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
