[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

lever \lev"er\ l=e"v~er, a. old compar. of leve or lief.
   more agreeable; more pleasing. obs. --chaucer.
   1913 webster

   to be lever than. see had as lief, under had.
      1913 webster
see also:
to be lever than had as lief had 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

lever \lev"er\, adv.
   rather. obs. --chaucer.
   1913 webster

         for lever had i die than see his deadly face.
                                                  --spenser.
   1913 webster

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

lever \le"ver\ l=e"v~er or le^v"~er; 277, n. oe.
   levour, of. leveor, prop., a lifter, fr. f. lever to raise,
   l. levare; akin to levis light in weight, e. levity, and
   perh. to e. light not heavy: cf. f. levier. cf. alleviate,
   elevate, leaven, legerdemain, levee, levy, n.
   1. mech. a rigid piece which is capable of turning about
      one point, or axis the fulcrum, and in which are two or
      more other points where forces are applied; -- used for
      transmitting and modifying force and motion. specif., a
      bar of metal, wood, or other rigid substance, used to
      exert a pressure, or sustain a weight, at one point of its
      length, by receiving a force or power at a second, and
      turning at a third on a fixed point called a fulcrum. it
      is usually named as the first of the six mechanical
      powers, and is of three kinds, according as either the
      fulcrum f, the weight w, or the power p, respectively, is
      situated between the other two, as in the figures.
      1913 webster

   2. mach.
      a a bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece
          to turn it.
      b an arm on a rock shaft, to give motion to the shaft or
          to obtain motion from it.
          1913 webster

   compound lever, a machine consisting of two or more levers
      acting upon each other.

   lever escapement. see escapement.

   lever jack. see jack, n., 5.

   lever watch, a watch having a vibrating lever to connect
      the action of the escape wheel with that of the balance.
      

   universal lever, a machine formed by a combination of a
      lever with the wheel and axle, in such a manner as to
      convert the reciprocating motion of the lever into a
      continued rectilinear motion of some body to which the
      power is applied.
      1913 webster
see also:
alleviate elevate leaven legerdemain levee levy 
compound lever lever escapement escapement lever jack jack 
lever watch universal lever 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

lever
     n 1: a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum
     2: a simple machine that gives a mechanical advantage when
        given a fulcrum
     3: a flat metal tumbler in a lever lock syn: lever tumbler
     v : to move or force, especially in an effort to get something
         open; "the burglar jimmied the lock", "raccoons managed
         to pry the lid off the garbage pail" syn: pry, prise,
          prize, jimmy
see also:
lever tumbler pry prise prize jimmy 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

73 moby thesaurus words for "lever":
   charlie mccarthy, agent, ancilla, appliance, bar, beam, boom,
   cant hook, claw bar, contrivance, crab, crane, crank, creature,
   crow, crowbar, derrick, device, dummy, dupe, erector, forklift,
   gantry crane, get a foothold, get leverage, go-between, handmaid,
   handmaiden, handspike, hoist, hydraulic tailgate, implement,
   instrument, interagent, intermediary, intermediate, intermedium,
   iron crow, jack, jackscrew, jimmy, lift, lifter, limb,
   marlinespike, mechanism, mediator, medium, midwife, minion, organ,
   outrigger, pawn, peavey, pedal, pinch bar, plaything, prize, pry,
   puppet, ripping bar, servant, slave, spar, stooge, tackle, tool,
   toy, treadle, vehicle, wedge, windlass, wrecking bar

Lever >> L Words
Lever, definition of term: Lever
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