linchpin : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: linchpin	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for linchpin
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
linchpin n a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm" Synonym(s): anchor, mainstay, keystone, backbone, linchpin, lynchpin pin inserted through an axletree to hold a wheel on Synonym(s): linchpin, lynchpin
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Linchpin \Linch"pin`\ (l[icr]nch"p[icr]n`), n. [AS. lynis the axletree; akin to D. luns linchpin, OS. lunisa, LG. lunse, G. l[81]nse, OHG. lun peg, bolt.] A pin used to prevent the wheel of a vehicle from sliding off the axletree.