lever en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (General-American) audio
- audio Gloucestershire
- /ˈli.vɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈliː.və/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈlɛv.ɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈliː.və/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English lever, levore, levour, from Old French leveor, leveur (“a lifter, lever (also Old French and French levier)”), from Latin levātor (“a lifter”), from levō (“to raise”). Doublet of levator.
Meanings
- A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion.
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A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion. ▸ Specifically, a bar of metal, wood or other rigid substance, used to exert a pressure, or sustain a weight, at one point of its length, by receiving a force or power at a second, and turning at a third on a fixed point called a fulcrum. It is usually named as the first of the six mechanical powers, and is of three kinds, according as either the fulcrum F, the weight W, or the power P, respectively, is situated between the other two, as in the figures.
Retractable steps and handrails are provided on each side of the cars. The steps, which are under the control of the guard, are operated by hand levers in the entrance vestibule.
1952 September, “Modernised Pull-and-Push Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 617:
- A small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device (like a switch or a button).
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A bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it.
A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.
2012 March 14, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3:
- An arm on a rock shaft, to give motion to the shaft or to obtain motion from it.
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(obsolete, qualifier:except in generalized senses below) A crowbar.
My lord, I brained him with a lever my neighbour lent me, and he stood by and cried, ‘Strike home, old boy!’
1613, John Marston, William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess, IV.1:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| levers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
lever action · underlever · shift lever · side-lever · leverless · tuning lever · beer lever · reversing lever · multilever · front lever · back lever · exolever · lever arm · pull a lever · microlever · ratchet lever · leverman · lever shears · delever
Relateds
elevator · levitator · alleviate · elevate · leaven · levator · levant · levitate · Levant
Synonyms
Translations (150)
fa اهرم (rigid piece) · ta நெம்புகோல் (rigid piece) · fi vipu (rigid piece) · mi hua (rigid piece) · uk підва́га (rigid piece) · cmn 槓桿 /杠杆 (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · cmn 槓桿 /杠杆 (rigid piece) · it levetta (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · sq levë (rigid piece) · nn spak (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · lv svira (rigid piece) · hy լծակ (rigid piece) · ro pârghie (rigid piece) · it leva (rigid piece) · he מָנוֹף (rigid piece) · ar عَتَلَة (rigid piece) · ru рыча́г (rigid piece) · ms pengungkit (rigid piece) · ar مُخْل (rigid piece) · grc μοχλός (rigid piece) · ms pengungkil (rigid piece) · ka ბერკეტი (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · mel suwil (rigid piece) · ka ბერკეტი (rigid piece) · et kang (rigid piece) · mk лост (rigid piece) · mel tuwaih (rigid piece) · sl vzvod (rigid piece) · af hefboom (rigid piece) · sv hävstång (rigid piece) · mi kauwhiti (rigid piece) · ar رَافِعَة (rigid piece) · eo levilo (rigid piece) · ba һалмауыр (rigid piece) · hi लीवर (rigid piece) · ca alçaprem (rigid piece) · sh по̀луга (rigid piece) · bg ръ́чка (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · de Hebel (rigid piece) · km គម្នាស់ (rigid piece) · lo ໄມ້ງັດ (rigid piece) · tg фишанг (rigid piece) · pl wajcha (rigid piece) · tl dalawit (rigid piece) · ms tuil (rigid piece) · eu altxaprima (rigid piece) · nl hendel (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · be рыча́г (rigid piece) · ml ഉത്തോലകം (rigid piece) · ky рычаг (rigid piece) · fi vipu (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · gl alzaprema (rigid piece) · hu emelőrúd (rigid piece) · ps اړم (rigid piece) · is lyftistöng (rigid piece) · tk leňňer (rigid piece) · ps دورسي (rigid piece) · de Hebel (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · lt svertas (rigid piece) · hu kar (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · nb vektstang (rigid piece) · is vogarstöng (rigid piece) · bg лост (rigid piece) · vi đòn bẩy (rigid piece) · id tuas (rigid piece) · pl dźwignia (rigid piece) · fr levier (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · hu fogantyú (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · ms tuas (rigid piece) · be вага́р (rigid piece) · gl gurra (rigid piece) · eo levstango (rigid piece) · gl panca (rigid piece) · te తులాదండము (rigid piece) · ps خريز (rigid piece) · gl bimbarra (rigid piece) · eo baskulo (rigid piece) · hi उत्तोलक (rigid piece) · lo ຊະແລງ (rigid piece) · gl travón (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · cs páka (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · ko 지레 (rigid piece) · mi tūwhiti (rigid piece) · uk ва́жіль (rigid piece) · eu palanka (rigid piece) · ps دغری (rigid piece) · ca palanca (rigid piece) · sk páka (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · uz richag (rigid piece) · ko 지레 (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · eo baskulo (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · pl drążek (rigid piece) · fy hefbeam (rigid piece) · la vectis (rigid piece) · wa levî (rigid piece) · ur لیور (rigid piece) · ca palanca (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · sq lloz (rigid piece) · hu emelő (rigid piece) · lt svirtis (rigid piece) · my ကုတ် (rigid piece) · sh pòluga (rigid piece) · gl palferro (rigid piece) · bn লিভার (rigid piece) · mn хөшүүрэг (rigid piece) · da vægtstang (rigid piece) · nci cuammītl (rigid piece) · uz dastak (rigid piece) · kk иінтірек (rigid piece) · gl palastra (rigid piece) · gl cambón (rigid piece) · az ling (rigid piece) · ps اړمی (rigid piece) · new थिँभः (rigid piece) · fr levier (rigid piece) · gl mourón (rigid piece) · ar مُحْل (rigid piece) · tr kaldıraç (rigid piece) · gl perpau (rigid piece) · pt alavanca (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · tg дастак (rigid piece) · uz pishang (rigid piece) · cs páka (rigid piece) · es palanca (rigid piece) · wa djîsse (rigid piece) · ms pengumpil (rigid piece) · pl lewar (rigid piece) · lo ລີ້ນ (rigid piece) · ja 梃子 (rigid piece) · id pengungkit (rigid piece) · fy hefaerm (rigid piece) · km ដងថ្លឹង (rigid piece) · th คาน (rigid piece) · fr manette (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · be падва́жнік (rigid piece) · tg фашанг (rigid piece) · ga luamhán (rigid piece) · uk підо́йма (rigid piece) · es palanca (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · el μοχλός (rigid piece) · sv spak (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · pt alavanca (rigid piece) · no spak (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · nn vektstong (rigid piece) · el μοχλός (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · es maneta (small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device) · nl hefboom (rigid piece) · ps رافعه (rigid piece) · sk páka (rigid piece) · gu ઉચ્ચાલક (rigid piece)