fulcrum

[ fool-kruhm, fuhl- ]

noun

, plural ful·crums, ful·cra [fool, -kr, uh, fuhl, -].

1. the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns in moving a body.
2. any prop or support.
3. Zoology. any of various structures in an animal serving as a hinge or support.

verb (used with object)

1. to fit with a fulcrum; put a fulcrum on.

fulcrum

/ ˈfʊlkrəm; ˈfʌl- /

noun

1. the pivot about which a lever turns
2. something that supports or sustains; prop
3. a spinelike scale occurring in rows along the anterior edge of the fins in primitive bony fishes such as the sturgeon

fulcrum

/ fl′krəm /

1. The point or support on which a lever turns. The position of the fulcrum, relative to the positions of the load and effort, determines the type of lever.

fulcrum

1. The point on which a lever is balanced when a force is exerted.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fulcrum¹

1665–75; < Latin: back-support of a couch, apparently for fulctrum, equivalent to fulc ( īre ) to hold up, support + -trum noun suffix of instrument

Word History and Origins

Origin of fulcrum¹

C17: from Latin: foot of a couch, bedpost, from fulcire to prop up

Example Sentences

Gomez, solemn and low-key — who one could not have foreseen becoming the fulcrum in a May-December comedy trio — provides the perfect balance.

From Los Angeles Times

Mutuma Mathiu, a veteran journalist, said Tuesday's events had shifted the dynamics of Kenyan politics: "Protest politics found a new fulcrum and a new and different generation of Kenyans found their rather loud voice."

From BBC

The next fulcrum in that war could hinge on whether Israel decides to pursue Hamas in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have fled amid a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

From New York Times

But two decades earlier, Dwight found himself at a fulcrum of 20th Century America, where the space race and the struggle for social justice converged.

From Seattle Times

There are moments in life that stick in memory as a fulcrum between before and after.

From New York Times

Related Words

• blueprint
• clue
• code
• core
• guide
• indicator
• means
• passport
• password
• sign
• ticket