fulcrum
[ foo l-kruh m, fuhl- ]
/ ˈfʊl krəm, ˈfʌl- /
noun, plural ful·crums, ful·cra [foo l-kruh, fuhl-] /ˈfʊl krə, ˈfʌl-/.
the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns in moving a body.
any prop or support.
Zoology.
any of various structures in an animal serving as a hinge or support.
verb (used with object)
to fit with a fulcrum; put a fulcrum on.
Origin of fulcrum
1665–75; < Latin: back-support of a couch, apparently for
fulctrum, equivalent to
fulc(īre) to hold up, support +
-trum noun suffix of instrument
Words nearby fulcrum
fulani,
fulani empire,
fulbright,
fulbright act,
fulbright scholarships,
fulcrum,
fulfil,
fulfill,
fulfillment,
fulgent,
fulgurant
Example sentences from the Web for fulcra
The fins often, as in Polypterus, have spines (fulcra) attached to their anterior borders.
The Vertebrate Skeleton |Sidney H. ReynoldsTheir position outside the fulcra shows that this explanation is impossible.
The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites |Percy Edward Raymond
British Dictionary definitions for fulcra
fulcrum
/ (ˈfʊlkrəm, ˈfʌl-) /
noun plural -crums or -cra (-krə)
the pivot about which a lever turns
something that supports or sustains; prop
a spinelike scale occurring in rows along the anterior edge of the fins in primitive bony fishes such as the sturgeon
Word Origin for fulcrum
C17: from Latin: foot of a couch, bedpost, from
fulcire to prop up
Medical definitions for fulcra
fulcrum
[ ful′krəm, fŭl′- ]
n. pl. ful•crums
The point or support on which a lever pivots.
An anatomical structure that acts as a hinge or point of support.
Scientific definitions for fulcra
fulcrum
[ ful′krəm ]
The point or support on which a lever turns. The position of the fulcrum, relative to the positions of the load and effort, determines the type of lever.