fulcrum
/ˈfʌlk.ɹəm/ · ful·crum
noun
- The support about which a lever pivots. He placed his thumb under the wrench, using it as a fulcrum to loosen the stubborn bolt.
- A crux or pivot; a central point on which something depends. The negotiations reached their fulcrum when both sides agreed on the price of the land.
Did you know? The word fulcrum originally referred to a bedpost in Latin, a sturdy support that could hold a mattress—an image that perfectly captures its modern mechanical sense.