pivots

Noun

pivot (plural pivots)

1. A thing on which something turns; specifically a metal pointed pin or short shaft in machinery, such as the end of an axle or spindle.
   • The weight of the body and the traction and braking forces are taken by the conventional dished bogie centre pivot with phosphor-bronze liner; this type of centre pivot facilitates passage over marshalling yard humps.1962 December, “The B.R. standard diesel-electric Type 1 locomotive”, in Modern Railways, page 382
2. (broadly, figuratively) Something or someone having a paramount significance in a certain situation.
   • “The story of this adoption is, of course, the pivot round which all the circumstances of the mysterious tragedy revolved. Mrs. Yule had an only son, namely, William, to whom she was passionately attached ; but, like many a fond mother, she had the desire of mapping out that son's future entirely...1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Tragedy in Dartmoor Terrace”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition...
3. Act of turning on one foot.
4. The officer or soldier who simply turns in his place while the company or line moves around him in wheeling.
5. (roller derby) A player with responsibility for co-ordinating their team in a particular jam.
6. An element of a set to be sorted that is chosen as a midpoint, so as to divide the other elements into two groups to be dealt with recursively.

See all 16 meanings of pivot