lever

1 of 2

noun

le·​ver ˈle-vər How to pronounce lever (audio) ˈlē- How to pronounce lever (audio)
1
a
: a bar used for prying or dislodging something
b
: an inducing or compelling force : tool
use food as a political leverTime
2
a
: a rigid piece that transmits and modifies force or motion when forces are applied at two points and it turns about a third
specifically : a rigid bar used to exert a pressure or sustain a weight at one point of its length by the application of a force at a second and turning at a third on a fulcrum
b
: a projecting piece by which a mechanism (see mechanism sense 1) is operated or adjusted

Illustration of lever

Illustration of lever
  • lever 2a

lever

2 of 2

verb

levered; levering ˈle-və-riŋ How to pronounce lever (audio)
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-riŋ,
ˈlēv-

transitive verb

1
: to pry, raise, or move with or as if with a lever
2
: to operate (a device) in the manner of a lever

Examples of lever in a Sentence

Noun They used their money as a lever to gain political power. Verb He levered the rock out of the hole. the workers used crowbars to lever the heavy stone block into its new position
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The company has since sent me the optional cue lever to install and my review has been updated to reflect the fact that the extra $50 makes for a much more compelling entry level turntable. Brad Moon, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 The idea here is that the motion is faster and more discreet than using your right hand to both shoot the photo and manipulate the typical advance lever. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
If the potatoes are hard to pull, use the shovel to lever them out of the soil carefully. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2024 Salesforce is about to go from an enterprise software dud to a company like ServiceNow that actually has a legitimate product levered to AI in Agentforce. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lever 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French levier, lever, from lever to raise, from Latin levare, from levis light in weight — more at light

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lever was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lever

Cite this Entry

“Lever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lever. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lever

1 of 2 noun
1
: a bar used to pry or move something
2
: a stiff bar for applying a force (as for lifting a weight) at one point of its length by effort at a second point and turning at a third point on a fulcrum
3
: a bar or rod used to run or adjust something
a gearshift lever

lever

2 of 2 verb
levered; levering ˈlev-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce lever (audio)
ˈlēv-
: to pry, raise, or move with a lever
Etymology

Noun

Middle English lever "bar for prying," from early French levier (same meaning), from lever (verb) "to raise," from Latin levare "to raise" — related to elevate

More from Merriam-Webster on lever

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!