Lever
/ˈliː.vər/noun
A rigid bar used to pry, lift, or move a load with a pivot point.
Did you know?The English word comes through French from Latin, but the tool’s name became so influential that it also gave us the verb and the idea of ‘leverage’—turning a tiny force into outsized power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leuk-
“to shine, be bright”
Latin
Latin
līber
“light, free”
Old French
Old French
levier
“a lifting device; a pry-bar”
Middle English
English
lever
“a bar used to raise or pry something”
Modern English
English
lever
“a rigid bar that pivots to move a load”