- pivot (n.)
- 1610s, from Fr., from O.Fr. pivot "hinge, pivot" (12c.), of uncertain origin. Figurative sense of "central point" is recorded from 1813. The verb is 1841, from the noun. Related: Pivoted; pivoting.
- pivotal
- 1844, in figurative sense, from pivot + -al (1).
- pulley
- early 14c., from O.Fr. polie (mid-12c.), from M.L. poliva, from Medieval Gk. *polidia, pl. of *polidion "little pivot," dim. of Gk. polos "pivot, axis" (see pole (2)).
- pole (2)
- "ends of Earth's axis," late 14c., from L. polus "end of an axis, the sky," from Gk. polos "pivot, axis of a sphere, the sky," from PIE *kwolo- "turn round," from base *kwel- (see cycle). Astronomical pole-star (proper name Polaris) is from 1550s. The O.E. word for it was Scip-steorra "ship-star," reflecting its importance in navigation.
- axis
- 1540s, "imaginary straight line around which a body (such as the Earth) rotates," from L. axis "axle, pivot, axis of the earth or sky," from PIE *aks- "axis" (cf. O.E. eax, O.H.G. ahsa "axle;" Gk. axon "axis, axle, wagon;" Skt. aksah "an axle, axis, beam of a balance;" Lith. aszis "axle"). Fig. sense in world history of "alliance between Germany and Italy" (later extended to include Japan) is from 1936. Original reference was to a "Rome-Berlin axis" in central Europe. The word later was used in ref. to a London-Washington axis (World War II) and a Moscow-Peking axis (early Cold War).