Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense levers, present participle levering, past tense, past participle levered
1. countable noun
A lever is a handle or bar that is attached to a piece of machinery and which you push or pull in order to operate the machinery.
Push the tiny lever on the lock. [+ on]
The taps have a lever to control the mix of hot and cold water.
2. See also gear lever
3. countable noun
A lever is a long bar, one end of which is placed under a heavy object so that when you press down on the other end you can move the object.
4. verb
If you lever something in a particular direction, you move it there, especially by using a lot of effort.
Neighbours eventually levered open the door with a crowbar. [VERB noun with adjective]
Insert the fork about 6in. from the root and simultaneously lever it backwards. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
Alex levered himself up from the sofa. [V pron-refl adv/prep]
[Also V, V n]
Synonyms: prise, move, force, raise More Synonyms of lever
5. countable noun
A lever is an idea or action that you can use to make people do what you want them to do, rather than what they want to do.
He may use money as a lever to control and manipulate her.
More Synonyms of lever
lever in British English
(ˈliːvə)
noun
1.
a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum, used to transfer a force to a load and usually to provide a mechanical advantage
2.
any of a number of mechanical devices employing this principle
3.
a means of exerting pressure in order to accomplish something; strategic aid
verb
4.
to prise or move (an object) with a lever
Derived forms
lever-like (ˈlever-ˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French leveour, from lever to raise, from Latin levāre, from levis light
lever in American English
(ˈlɛvər; ˈlivər)
noun
1.
a bar used as a pry
2.
a means to an end
3. Mechanics
a device consisting of a bar turning about a fixed point, the fulcrum, using power or force applied at a second point to lift or sustain a weight at a third point; hence, any handle or the like used to operate something
verb transitive
4.
to move, lift, etc. with or as with a lever
5.
to use as a lever
Word origin
OFr leveour < lever, to raise < L levare < levis, light: see light2
lever in Mechanical Engineering
(livər)
Word forms: (regular plural) levers
noun
(Mechanical engineering: General)
A lever is a rigid bar pivoted around a fulcrum, used to transfer a force to a load and usuallyto provide a mechanical advantage.
A crowbar is an example of a lever because it helps to lift heavy objects.
The hand brake is usually applied by a lever at the side of the driver's seat.
A lever is a rigid bar pivoted around a fulcrum, used to transfer a force to a load and usuallyto provide a mechanical advantage.
Examples of 'lever' in a sentence
lever
Alec tried to reach the brake lever, barging into one of the council men.
Leeson, Robert THE THIRD CLASS GENIE (2003)
Something she could use as a lever against him; something he would really care about.
Barbara Erskine SANDS OF TIME (2003)
The monkey learns to administer himself a dose of whatever it is he wants by pulling the right lever.
Collins, Larry BLACK EAGLES (2003)
In other languages
lever
British English: lever /ˈliːvə/ NOUN
A lever is a handle or bar that you pull or push to operate a piece of machinery.
Pull the gear lever.
American English: lever
Arabic: عَتَلَةٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: alavanca
Chinese: 杠杆
Croatian: poluga
Czech: páka
Danish: stang
Dutch: hefboom
European Spanish: palanca
Finnish: vipu
French: levier
German: Hebel
Greek: μοχλός
Italian: leva
Japanese: レバー 操作ハンドル
Korean: 조종간
Norwegian: spak
Polish: dźwignia
European Portuguese: alavanca
Romanian: manetă
Russian: рычаг
Latin American Spanish: palanca
Swedish: spak
Thai: คันโยก
Turkish: kol
Ukrainian: важіль
Vietnamese: đòn bẩy
British English: lever VERB
If you lever something in a particular direction, you move it there, especially by using a lot of effort.
Neighbours eventually levered open the door with a crowbar.
American English: lever
Brazilian Portuguese: alavancar
Chinese: 撬动
European Spanish: apalancar
French: déplacer avec un levier
German: stemmen
Italian: spostare facendo leva
Japanese: 力を入れて動かす
Korean: 힘들여 움직이다
European Portuguese: alavancar
Latin American Spanish: apalancar
All related terms of 'lever'
brake lever
(on a bicycle ) a lever on the handlebar that connects to the brake cable and thus operates the braking mechanism
gear lever
A gear lever or a gear stick is the lever that you use to change gear in a car or other vehicle.
tyre lever
a metal bar having bladelike ends of various shapes to insert between the rim and the bead of a pneumatic tire to remove or replace the tyre
cyclic pitch lever
a lever in a helicopter to change the angle of attack of individual rotor blades , causing the helicopter to move forwards , backwards , or sideways
collective pitch lever
a lever in a helicopter to change the angle of attack of all the rotor blades simultaneously, causing it to rise or descend
Chinese translation of 'lever'
lever
(ˈliːvəʳ; USˈlɛvəʳ)
n(c)
(to operate machine) 杆(桿) (gǎn) (根, gēn)
(to provide leverage) 杠杆(桿) (gànggǎn)
(fig) 手段 (shǒuduàn)
vt
to lever sth open撬开(開)某物 (qiàokāi mǒuwù)
to lever o.s. up把自己支撑(撐)起来(來) (bǎ zìjǐ zhīchēng qǐlái)
(noun)
Definition
a rigid bar that turns on a fixed support (fulcrum) to transfer effort and motion, for instance to move a load
Robert leaned lightly on the lever and the rock groaned.
Synonyms
handle
bar
crowbar
jemmy
handspike
(verb)
Definition
to open or move with a lever
Neighbours eventually levered the door open with a crowbar.
Synonyms
prise
He tried to prise the dog's jaws open.
move
force
The police forced the door of the flat and arrested him.
raise
pry (US)
jemmy
Additional synonyms
in the sense of force
Definition
to break down or open (a lock, door, etc.)
The police forced the door of the flat and arrested him.