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Added 9 October 2026

linchpin

/ˈlɪnt͡ʃˌpɪn/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about linchpin at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A central cohesive source of support and stability.
faith is his anchor
Pin inserted through an axletree to hold a wheel on.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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