linchpin
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linchpin
- /ˈlɪnt͡ʃˌpɪn/
Rhymes with -ɪntʃpɪn
Where it comes from
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.
noun linchpins · linch-pin · lynchpin · lynch-pin · link-pin · lin-pin
-
A pin inserted through holes at the end of an axle or shaft, so as to secure a wheel or shaft-mounted device.
In ij camellis ferri vocatis lynspins emptis pro carectis iiijᵈ.
Similar: axlepin
-
A central cohesive source of stability and security; a person or thing that is critical to a system or organisation.
What is difficult to appreciate, however, is the discrepancy between his statement to the 'Manchester Guardian' correspondent and his known abhorance for party politics, which is the lynchpin of modern democracy.
Similar: keystone
verb linchpins · linchpinning · linchpinned · linch-pin · lynchpin
- To adopt as, or serve as, a central cohesive source of stability and security. The poems turn fear of individual death into an audit of the costs of an aristocratic status quo which is linchpinned by a monarchy indulging in paradigms of social redress that have become cosmetic, opportunities for self-display rather than genuine justice.
Translations
Every language
noun securing pin
| Español | taco |
|---|---|
| Português | chaveta |
| Français | cheville, cheville ouvrière |
| Deutsch | Achsnagel, Lünse |
| Русский | чека́ čeká |
noun central cohesive source of stability and security
| Português | baluarte |
|---|---|
| Français | cheville ouvrière, pivot |
| Deutsch | Angelpunkt |
| Русский | опо́ра opóra |
Talk about this word "linchpin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/linchpin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. linchpin. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/linchpin "linchpin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/linchpin.Cite this
@misc{linchpin_2026,
title = {linchpin},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/linchpin},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
