fulcrum
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What is the word of the day and how is it pronounced?
It's Merriam Webster's word of the day for july twelfth. Today's word is fulcrum, also pronounced fulcrum, and spelled F U L C R U M. Fulcrum is a noun. In technical use, it refers to the support on which a lever moves when it is used to lift something.
How is “fulcrum” used figuratively to describe essential people or things?
In figurative use, fulcrum refers to a person or thing that makes it possible for something to function or develop, or in other words, one who plays an essential role in something. Here's the word used in a sentence from literary hub. The moral fulcrum of Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus, in which a scholar gains knowledge and power through a demonic pact, is
What literary example illustrates the moral fulcrum in Marlowe’s *Doctor Faustus*?
is a relatively straightforward statement on the human condition. The Latin word fulcrum, which refers to the head or back support of a couch, comes from the verb fulcire, which means to prop or support. When fulcrum was used in English in the seventeenth century for the first time, it referred to the point on which a lever or similar device, such as the oar of a boat, is supported. The literal use easily supported figurative use, and it didn't take long for the word to develop a meaning referring to one deemed essential to the function or development of something.
What is the Latin origin of “fulcrum” and how did its meaning evolve in English and zoology?
Despite Fulcrum's multiple senses, the word's meanings have kept a steady theme. In zoology, fulcrum refers to a part of an animal that serves as a hinge or support, such as the joint supporting a bird's wing. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit MarionWebster dot com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the word of the day and how is it pronounced?
0:06–0:27
2
How is “fulcrum” used figuratively to describe essential people or things?
0:27–0:54
3
What literary example illustrates the moral fulcrum in Marlowe’s *Doctor Faustus*?
0:54–1:34
4
What is the Latin origin of “fulcrum” and how did its meaning evolve in English and zoology?
1:34–2:02