linchpin
/ˈlɪntʃpɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪntʃpɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlinch-ˌpin/ (ame, mw)
linchpin — noun
1. the person or thing a team, plan, or system depends on most; without it, the res
the person or thing a team, plan, or system depends on most; without it, the rest cannot keep working well.
Nkechi is the linchpin of the clinic, keeping doctors, drivers, and supplies moving on time.
the linchpin of [organization]
Without Samir, the small design team loses its linchpin and misses every project deadline.
lose its linchpin + breakdown
Cheap bus passes became the linchpin of the mayor's plan to help night-shift workers.
For Yuna, phone calls were the linchpin that kept her parents calm during the move.
The payment app is the linchpin of this market, so one outage stops every stall.
- keystone
often stresses the piece that locks a structure together
- cornerstone
more often used for a founding value or first principle
- backbone
emphasizes strength and steady support rather than one removable part
文法句型
the linchpin of [team/plan/system]
用法筆記
Usually appears in phrases like 'the linchpin of the team' or 'the linchpin of the plan' and often refers to one person or one central feature. Distinguish from sense 2, which names a real metal pin on a wheel or axle.
2. a small metal pin fixed across an axle's end so a wheel cannot slide off.
a small metal pin fixed across an axle's end so a wheel cannot slide off.
Theo checked the tractor's linchpin before towing the trailer across the muddy field.
check the linchpin before towing
One loose linchpin let the cart wheel slide off halfway down the farm road.
loose linchpin + wheel slide off
The mechanic tapped a new linchpin into place and spun the wheel again.
Lan found the missing linchpin in the grass beside the horse trailer.
After the old linchpin snapped, the left wheel shook hard on every turn.
- axle pin
a broad mechanical term for a pin used on an axle
- locking pin
more general and not limited to wheels or axles
文法句型
remove the linchpin from [wheel/axle]
用法筆記
Mostly used in mechanical or farming contexts with wheels, carts, trailers, or axles. In ordinary figurative English, people usually mean sense 1 instead.