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Beginner's Dictionary
       

lev·er

lever

 
 
pronunciation:
le vr [or] li vr
features:
Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition 1: a basic tool used to lift something or open something by lifting it out.
They used a lever to lift the heavy rock.
definition 2: a handle used to control or set the position of a part in a machine.
derivation: leverlike (adj.)
Word History
Lever comes from levare, a Latin word that means "to raise," which comes from levis, which means "light in weight." The simple machine we call a "lever" allows us to lift a heavy weight as easily as we could a much lighter one.
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  physics, tool