a pin inserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on.
something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together: The monarchy was the linchpin of the nation's traditions and society.
Origin of linchpin
First recorded in 1350–1400; unexplained alteration of Middle English linpin, lynspin, equivalent to lyns, linch, lens, Old English lynis “axle-pin, axletree” (cognate with German Lünse ) + pin pin
Words nearby linchpin
linalyl acetate, Linares, linaria, linarite, Lin Biao, linchpin, Lincocin, Lincoln, Lincoln, Abraham, Lincoln Center, Lincoln-Douglas debates
The demonstration that something like a linchpin of modern metabolism could have emerged under mild, minimally demanding conditions therefore makes a prebiotic origin for the TCA cycle look more feasible, which the metal catalyst experiments did not.
New Clues to Chemical Origins of Metabolism at Dawn of Life|John Rennie|October 12, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The principal hotspot is the HBO Max streaming service, the linchpin in AT&T’s gigantic strategic shift toward video content.
All eyes are on HBO Max’s low subscriber numbers|Geoffrey Colvin|October 9, 2020|Fortune
It’s intriguing how they come up with their decisions in terms of whether or not it’s based off precedent, whether it’s new law, and what aspect of the case was the linchpin of how they decided in terms of the majority opinion.
Full Transcript: Sean Spicer on ‘The Carlos Watson Show’|Daniel Malloy|August 26, 2020|Ozy
At the moment, Yisrael Beiteinu is the linchpin of the coming rightist government.
Lieberman’s Distraction|Brent E. Sasley|December 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Bolshevism was the linchpin that held all the other facets of conspiracy together.
Soviet Communism’s Collapse Left America’s Far Right Without a Real Foe|Lee Siegel|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was one courier in particular that proved the linchpin in Sunday night's operation that killed the al Qaeda leader.
Osama bin Laden's Courier: The Man Who Led the U.S. to bin Laden|Josh Dzieza|May 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The drawbolt on a linchpin wagon usually has a head made in the form of the jaws of a wrench.
Farm Mechanics|Herbert A. Shearer
That I driv yer honour the last three miles without a linchpin!
Coaching, with Anecdotes of the Road|William Pitt Lennox
If an axle had broken or a linchpin loosened the race would have been lost.
Blazing The Way|Emily Inez Denny
Linchpin, linsh′pin, n. a pin used to keep the wheel of a carriage on the axle-tree.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various
But suppose anything should break, or a linchpin should give way and let a wheel loose?
Coaching Days & Ways|E. D. (Edward William Dirom) Cuming
British Dictionary definitions for linchpin
linchpin
lynchpin
/ (ˈlɪntʃˌpɪn) /
noun
a pin placed transversely through an axle to keep a wheel in position
a person or thing regarded as an essential or coordinating elementthe linchpin of the company