pivot

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: piv=ot

CIDE DICTIONARY

pivot, n. [F.; prob. akin to It. piva pipe, F. pipe. See Pipe.].

•  A fixed pin or short axis, on the end of which a wheel or other body turns.  [1913 Webster]
•  The end of a shaft or arbor which rests and turns in a support; as, the pivot of an arbor in a watch.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, figuratively: A turning point or condition; that on which important results depend; as, the pivot of an enterprise.  [1913 Webster]
•  The officer or soldier who simply turns in his place whike the company or line moves around him in wheeling; -- called also pivot man.  [1913 Webster]

Pivot bridge, a form of drawbridge in which one span, called the pivot span, turns about a central vertical axis. -- Pivot gun, a gun mounted on a pivot or revolving carriage, so as to turn in any direction. -- Pivot tooth (Dentistry), an artificial crown attached to the root of a natural tooth by a pin or peg.

pivot, v. t. 

 To place on a pivot.  Clarke.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pivot, n. & v.
--n.
1 a short shaft or pin on which something turns or oscillates.
2 a crucial or essential person, point, etc., in a scheme or enterprise.
3 Mil. the man or men about whom a body of troops wheels.
--v. (pivoted, pivoting)
1 intr. turn on or as if on a pivot.
2 intr. (foll. by on, upon) hinge on; depend on.
3 tr. provide with or attach by a pivot.

Derivative

pivotable adj. pivotability n. pivotal adj.

Etymology

F, of uncert. orig.

THESAURUS

pivot

ankle, arbor, articulation, avert, axis, axle, axle bar, axle shaft, axle spindle, axle-tree, bearing, bench mark, boundary, butt, cardinal point, center, center of action, center of gravity, centroid, centrum, cervix, chief thing, circle, circulate, circumrotate, circumvolute, climax, clinch, closure, come about, connecting link, connecting rod, connection, core, cornerstone, coupling, crank, crisis, critical point, crux, dead center, deflect, depend, distaff, divert, dovetail, elbow, embrace, epicenter, essence, essential, essential matter, fetch about, focal point, fulcrum, fundamental, gimbal, gist, gliding joint, go about, go around, go round, gravamen, great point, gudgeon, gyrate, gyre, hang, heart, heel, high point, hinge, hinged joint, hingle, hip, hub, important thing, interface, issue, join, joining, joint, juncture, kernel, keystone, kingpin, knee, knuckle, landmark, link, main point, main thing, mandrel, marrow, material point, meat, medulla, metacenter, middle, milestone, miter, mortise, nave, navel, neck, nub, nucleus, oarlock, omphalos, pin, pintle, pirouette, pith, pivot about, pivot joint, pole, put about, rabbet, radiant, real issue, rely, rest, resting point, revolve, rotate, round, rowlock, salient point, scarf, screw, seam, sheer, shoulder, sine qua non, spin, spindle, stitch, storm center, substance, substantive point, suture, swing, swing round, swivel, symphysis, the bottom line, the point, thole, tholepin, tie rod, toggle, toggle joint, trunnion, turn, turn a pirouette, turn about, turn around, turn round, turn tail, turning point, twirl, twist, umbilicus, union, veer, veer around, volte-face, wamble, weld, wheel, wheel about, whip, whirl, wind, wrist

ROGET THESAURUS

pivot

Junction

N junction, joining, joinder, union connection, conjunction, conjugation, annexion, annexation, annexment, astriction, attachment, compagination, vincture, ligation, alligation, accouplement, marriage infibulation, inosculation, symphysis, anastomosis, confluence, communication, concatenation, meeting, reunion, assemblage, coition, copulation, sex, sexual congress, sexual conjunction, sexual intercourse, love-making, joint, joining, juncture, pivot, hinge, articulation, commissure, seam, gore, gusset, suture, stitch, link, miter mortise, closeness, tightness coherence, combination, annexationist, joined, joint, conjoint, conjunct, corporate, compact, hand in hand, firm, fast, close, tight, taut, taught, secure, set, intervolved, inseparable, indissoluble, insecable, severable, jointly, in conjunction with, fast, firmly intimately, tria juncta in uno.

Cause

N cause, origin, source, principle, element, occasioner, prime mover, primum mobile, vera causa, author, mainspring, agent, leaven, groundwork, foundation, spring, fountain, well, font, fountainhead, spring head, wellhead, fons et origo, genesis, descent, remote cause, influence, pivot, hinge, turning point, lever, crux, fulcrum, key, proximate cause, causa causans, straw that breaks the camel's back, ground, reason, reason why, why and wherefore, rationale, occasion, derivation, final cause, les dessous des cartes, undercurrents, rudiment, egg, germ, embryo, bud, root, radix radical, etymon, nucleus, seed, stem, stock, stirps, trunk, tap-root, gemmule, radicle, semen, sperm, nest, cradle, nursery, womb, nidus, birthplace, hotbed, causality, causation, origination, production, caused, causal, original, primary, primitive, primordial, aboriginal, protogenal, radical, embryonic, embryotic, in embryo, in ovo, seminal, germinal, at the bottom of, connate, having a common origin, because, behind the scenes, causa latet vis est notissima, felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.

Support

N support, ground, foundation, base, basis, terra firma, bearing, fulcrum, bait, caudex crib, point d'appui, pou sto, purchase footing, hold, locus standi, landing place, landing stage, stage, platform, block, rest, resting place, groundwork, substratum, riprap, sustentation, subvention, floor, supporter, aid, prop, stand, anvil, fulciment, cue rest, jigger, monkey, stay, shore, skid, rib, truss, bandage, sleeper, stirrup, stilts, shoe, sole, heel, splint, lap, bar, rod, boom, sprit, outrigger, ratlings, staff, stick, crutch, alpenstock, baton, staddle, bourdon, cowlstaff, lathi, mahlstick, post, pillar, shaft, thill, column, pilaster, pediment, pedicle, pedestal, plinth, shank, leg, socle, zocle, buttress, jamb, mullion, abutment, baluster, banister, stanchion, balustrade, headstone, upright, door post, jamb, door jamb, frame, framework, scaffold, skeleton, beam, rafter, girder, lintel, joist, travis, trave, corner stone, summer, transom, rung, round, step, sill, angle rafter, hip rafter, cantilever, modillion, crown post, king post, vertebra, columella, backbone, keystone, axle, axletree, axis, arch, mainstay, trunnion, pivot, rowlock, peg, tiebeam, thole pin, board, ledge, shelf, hob, bracket, trevet, trivet, arbor, rack, mantel, mantle piece, mantleshelf, slab, console, counter, dresser, flange, corbel, table, trestle, shoulder, perch, horse, easel, desk, clotheshorse, hatrack, retable, teapoy, seat, throne, dais, divan, musnud, chair, bench, form, stool, sofa, settee, stall, arm chair, easy chair, elbow chair, rocking chair, couch, fauteuil, woolsack, ottoman, settle, squab, bench, aparejo, faldstool, horn, long chair, long sleeve chair, morris chair, lamba chauki, lamba kursi, saddle, pannel, pillion, side saddle, pack saddle, pommel, bed, berth, pallet, tester, crib, cot, hammock, shakedown, trucklebed, cradle, litter, stretcher, bedstead, four poster, French bed, bunk, kip, palang, bedding, bichhona, mattress, paillasse, pillow, bolster, mat, rug, cushion, footstool, hassock, tabouret, tripod, monopod, Atlas, Persides, Atlantes, Caryatides, Hercules, supporting, supported, fundamental, dorsigerous, astride on, straddle.

Rotation

N rotation, revolution, spinning, gyration, turning about an axis, turning aound an axis, circulation, roll, circumrotation, circumvolution, circumgyration, volutation, circination, turbination, pirouette, convolution, verticity, whir, whirl, eddy, vortex, whirlpool, gurge, countercurrent, Maelstrom, Charybdis, Ixion, cyclone, tornado, whirlwind, dust devil, spin-out, axis, axis of rotation, swivel, pivot, pivot point, axle, spindle, pin, hinge, pole, arbor, bobbin, mandrel, axle shaft, gymbal, hub, hub of rotation, helix, helical motion, angular momentum, angular velocity, revolutions per minute, RPM, centrifugal force, surge, vertigo, dizzy round, coriolus force, carousel, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, top, dreidel, teetotum, gyroscope, turntable, lazy suzan, screw, whirligig, rollingstone, water wheel, windmill, wheel, pulley wheel, roulette wheel, potter's wheel, pinwheel, gear, roller, flywheel, jack, caster, centrifuge, ultracentrifuge, bench centrifuge, refrigerated centrifuge, gas centrifuge, microfuge, drill, augur, oil rig, wagon wheel, wheel, tire, tyre, trochilics, whirling dervish, rotating, rotary, rotary, circumrotatory, trochilic, vertiginous, gyratory, vortical, vorticose, head over heels, round and round, like a horse in a mill.