From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpivotpiv‧ot1 /ˈpɪvət/ noun [countable] 1 TEMa central point or pin on which something balances or turns2 IMPORTANT[usually singular] (also pivot point) the most important thing in a situation, system etc, which other things depend on or are based onthe pivot on/around which something turns/revolves Iago’s lie is the pivot on which the play turns.pivot of West Africa was the pivot of the chocolate trade.
Examples from the Corpus
pivot• New designs with foot pivots allow snow hikers to tackle almost any hill or valley.• The tableau is no longer primal feasible and one further pivot as shown. is required to achieve an optimal tableau in which.• He was a great pivot man and developed a very good outside shot.• Any friction at the hammer pivot will slow down the movement of the hammer, tending to make the action sluggish.• Classification as a linking device or pivot.• It was at the pivot of the secondary system - the process of selection - that innovation apparently took place.• Nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them became the pivot around which much of the Cold War revolved.• Secondly, the bounds provided by penalties can be used to prune the tree and avoid unnecessary pivots.pivotpivot2 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]TURN to turn or balance on a central point, or to make something do thispivot on The table-top pivots on two metal pins.2 [intransitive] to turn quickly on your feet so that you face in the opposite direction Magee pivoted and threw the ball to first base. → pivot on/around something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
pivot• But at some point history pivoted.• They turn counter-clockwise by crossing one foot over another and pivoting, again and again.• She pivots again, and in two long strides she is down at the far end of the bench watching the play.• Instead, she pivots, dribbles and lunges toward the basket again.• The tableau is no longer optimal, so we must pivot in the x 1 -column to restore dual feasibility.• She pivoted on her hands so that she was facing the other direction.• The board will pivot round the skeg.• The security cameras can automatically pivot to monitor the entire hallway.Origin pivot1 (1600-1700) French 