Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off.
- noun A central cohesive element.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A pin inserted in the spindle of the axle of a vehicle to prevent the wheel from slipping off. Also
axle-pin .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A pin used to prevent the wheel of a vehicle from sliding off the axletree.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun a pin inserted through holes at the end of an axle, so as to secure a wheel
- noun figuratively a central
cohesive source ofstability andsecurity ; a person or thing that is critical to a system or organisation.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun pin inserted through an axletree to hold a wheel on
- noun a central cohesive source of support and stability
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Times have now changed, Schumer said, and passing a bill is possible by separating illegal from legal immigrants with what he calls the linchpin: a biometric Social Security card that includes digital records of personal characteristics.
unknown title 2009
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More to the point, it would have to survive without McShane as Silas, continue to function dramatically even after the Saul counterpart dies and its linchpin is gone — which seems, at the moment, inconceivable.
Kings Hal Duncan 2009
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More to the point, it would have to survive without McShane as Silas, continue to function dramatically even after the Saul counterpart dies and its linchpin is gone — which seems, at the moment, inconceivable.
Archive 2009-04-01 Hal Duncan 2009
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Outlook: The reigning Class AA State Federation champions may run three guards but their linchpin is 6-0 Mike Coburn (16.5 ppg, 6 apg).
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Maintaining the impossibly high standards set by previous releases from the Bug and soon to be legendary Burial, label linchpin Kode 9 reverts to the format reserved for his own alchemical productions.
AvaxHome RSS: 2008
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Their alleged aim is to provoke confrontations to split the people and the army, which the council calls the linchpin of the nation's safety and security.
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Their alleged aim is to provoke confrontations to split the people and the army, which the council calls the linchpin of the nation's safety and security.
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Their alleged aim is to provoke confrontations to split the people and the army, which the council calls the linchpin of the nation's safety and security.
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McChrystal's departure played out against a faltering campaign in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, rising U.S. and NATO casualties on the battlefield, and delays in a Kandahar offensive that has been described as the linchpin to the war effort.
Gen. McChrystal is dismissed as top U.S. commander in Afghanistan 2010
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McChrystal's departure played out against a faltering campaign in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, rising U.S. and NATO casualties on the battlefield, and delays in a Kandahar offensive that has been described as the linchpin to the war effort.
Gen. McChrystal is dismissed as top U.S. commander in Afghanistan 2010
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