Fulcrum
/ˈfʊl.krəm/noun
A pivot point or support on which something balances or turns.
Did you know?Fulcrum comes from Latin *fulcire*, meaning “to prop up” or “support,” and it entered English through technical writing about levers and mechanics, not magic—but it still became a perfect symbol for the hidden point where everything turns.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhelg-
“to swell, bulge, or support”
Latin
Latin
fulcire
“to prop up, support, or shore up”
Latin
Latin
fulcrum
“a prop, support, or bedpost”
16th Century
English
fulcrum
“a support or prop, especially the pivot of a lever”
Modern English
English
fulcrum
“the pivot point on which a lever turns”