pivot
/ˈpɪv.ət/
noun
Origin
Old French
pivot — hinge pin, pivot
Overview
Meaning Now
- A central pin or shaft on which a mechanism turns or oscillates.
- A person or thing that plays a central or crucially important role in a situation.
Literal older meaning
a small shaft or peg
Language path
Old French → Middle French → English
Earliest form
pivot
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term likely originates from a word related to a 'stake' or 'pointed peg' (compare with Middle French 'pive'), eventually becoming the standard term for the point around which a body rotates.
Evolution
- Old French
pivot
“a stake or hinge pin”
- Middle French
pivot
“a turning point or small peg”
- 17th-century English
pivot
“mechanical axis or pin”
Borrowed as a technical term for machinery.
- 20th/21st-century English
pivot
“a strategic change in direction or focus”
Commonly used in business and technology contexts.
Connections
Word parts
pivot
root
central shaft
Related across languages
French
pivot
Explore next
Related to pivot
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.