Lever
nounA rigid bar that pivots on a fixed point to move or lift a load with less effort.
How to spell lever
5 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce lever
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does lever mean?
- nounA rigid bar that pivots on a fixed point to move or lift a load with less effort.
- verbTo move or prise something using a lever or similar leverage.
Lever in a sentence
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noun
He pulled the lever to release the parking brake.
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verb
They used a crowbar to lever the crate open.
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noun
A long lever makes it easier to shift a heavy rock.
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verb
She had to lever the stuck window upward with a screwdriver.
Where does lever come from?
Language of origin: French
This word came into English in the early 1300s from Old French levier (also written leveor), a noun meaning a bar used for lifting. That French noun was built on the verb lever, 'to raise', which descends directly from the Latin levare, 'to make light' or 'to lift'. Latin levare in turn rests on the adjective levis, meaning 'light in weight', the same root that gives English 'levity' and 'alleviate'. The underlying idea is beautifully literal: a lever is the simple machine that makes a heavy load feel light, letting a small effort raise a great weight. The spelling preserves that lev- core, though pronunciation diverged, with British speakers saying LEE-ver and Americans saying LEV-er.
How the word is built
- lev- (from Latin levare: to raise, lighten)
- -er (noun/agent suffix indicating an instrument)
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