linchpin

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• /ˈlɪnt͡ʃˌpɪn/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɪntʃpɪn
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• CMU ARPABET: L IH1 N CH P IH2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English lynspin, compound of lins (“axletree”) and pin, from Old English lynis (“lynchpin”), from Proto-West Germanic *lunis, from Proto-Germanic *lunaz – compare German Lünse and Dutch luns – from Proto-Indo-European. Possible further cognates are Welsh olwyn (“wheel”), Old Armenian ողն (ołn, “back; spine, backbone”) and Sanskrit आणि (āṇí, “lynchpin”). Figurative use attested from the mid-20th century.

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Albanian: zabua — securing pin
• Bulgarian: чивия (čivija) — securing pin
• Catalan: clavilla — securing pin
• Czech: zákolník — securing pin
• Danish: lundstikke — securing pin
• Danish: akselsplit — securing pin
• Dutch: luns — securing pin
• Esperanto: kejlo — securing pin
• Finnish: sokka — securing pin
• French: cheville — securing pin
• French: cheville ouvrière — securing pin
• German: Achsnagel — securing pin
• German: Lünse — securing pin
• Icelandic: hjóltittur — securing pin
• Irish: pionna rotha — securing pin
• Irish: dealg acastóra — securing pin
• Irish: tairne aisil — securing pin
• Irish: lispin — securing pin
• Kazakh: мұрындық (mūryndyq) — securing pin
• Kyrgyz: мурундук (murunduk) — securing pin
• Middle English: lynspin — securing pin
• Norwegian: sikring — securing pin
• Norwegian: splint — securing pin
• Old English: lynis — securing pin
• Polish: lon — securing pin
• Portuguese: chaveta — securing pin
• Russian: чека́ (čeká) — securing pin
• Scottish Gaelic: tarrag-aisil — securing pin
• Spanish: taco — securing pin
• Ottoman Turkish: كلید (kilid) — securing pin
• Volapük: xabakluf — securing pin
• Welsh: gwarbin — securing pin
• Danish: krumtap — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Danish: hjørnesten — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Danish: hovedhjørnesten — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Danish: grundpille — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Dutch: spil — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Dutch: sleutelfiguur — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Finnish: avainhenkilö — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Finnish: kulmakivi — central cohesive source of stability and security
• French: cheville ouvrière — central cohesive source of stability and security
• French: pivot — central cohesive source of stability and security
• German: Angelpunkt — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Polish: podpora — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Portuguese: baluarte — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Russian: опо́ра (opóra) — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Swedish: stöttepelare — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Swedish: hörnsten — central cohesive source of stability and security
• Swedish: grundpult — central cohesive source of stability and security