Linchpin

Last updated
Wagon wheel, with forged linchpin A aesthetic linchpin.JPG
Wagon wheel, with forged linchpin
A modern linchpin with an integral spring retainer Lynch-pin.jpg
A modern linchpin with an integral spring retainer

A linchpin, also spelled lynchpin, is a fastener used to prevent a wheel or other part from sliding off the axle upon which it is riding. The word is first attested in the late fourteenth century and derives from Middle English elements meaning "axletree pin". [1] [2]

Contents

Securing implements onto the three-point hitch of a tractor is an example of application. Linchpins may also be used in place of an R-clip for securing hitch pins. [3]

Metaphorical use

The word "linchpin" is also used figuratively to mean "something [or someone] that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together". [4] Another word to this effect is Keystone_(architecture).

See also

References

  1. linch-pin, n..OED Online. June 2014. Oxford University Press. (accessed December 21, 2024; original link now behind paywall).
  2. linchpin (n.). Online Etymology Dictionary. (accessed 1 June 2018).
  3. "Hitch Pins and Linch Pins Information on GlobalSpec". Archived from the original on 2010-08-18.
  4. "Linchpin". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-03-24.