lever

CEFRC1

/ˈliː.və/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A bar used to lift or move something with less effort.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device (like a switch or a button).

Examples

  • The screw, the lever, the wedge, the pulley, etc. are called simple machines.

  • They lifted the rock by means of a lever.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ˈlɛv.ɚ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion.

  2. A bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it.

  3. An arm on a rock shaft, to give motion to the shaft or to obtain motion from it.

More examples

In context

  • Press down on the lever.

  • With great effort and a big crowbar I managed to lever the beam off the floor.

  • A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

He used a long metal blank to lift the heavy rock out of the ground.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English lever, levore, levour, from Old French leveor, leveur (“a lifter, lever (also Old French and French levier)”), from Latin levātor (“a lifter”), from levō (“to raise”). Doublet of levator.