lynchpin
lynchpin is the alternative form of linchpin.
Meaning of linchpin
Noun
linchpin (plural linchpins)
- A pin inserted through holes at the end of an axle or shaft, so as to secure a wheel or shaft-mounted device.
- In ij camellis ferri vocatis lynspins emptis pro carectis iiijᵈ.1376–7, Compotus Roll Hyde Manor (In the manuscript deeds of Westminster Abbey)
- Synonyms:
- axlepin
- A central cohesive source of stability and security; a person or thing that is critical to a system or organisation.
- What is difficult to appreciate, however, is the discrepancy between his statement to the 'Manchester Guardian' correspondent and his known abhorance for party politics, which is the lynchpin of modern democracy.1958, The Eastern Economist
- Synonyms:
- keystone
Forms of lynchpin
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | lynchpins |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | lynchpins |
| present participle | lynchpinning |
| past participle | lynchpinned |
| past | lynchpinned |
Questions about lynchpin
- What is lynchpin the alternative form of?
- Lynchpin is the alternative form of linchpin.
Words near lynchpin in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: lynchpin (page history and authors); linchpin (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this entry: “lynchpin.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/lynchpin. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.