lever
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
- (Canadian, US) IPA: /ˈliː.vɚ/, /ˈlɛ.vɚ/, SAMPA: /li:"v@`/, /lE"v@`/
- Audio (UK)help, file
- Audio (US)help, file
[edit] Etymology 1
From Old French leveor, leveur (“‘a lifter, lever (also Old French and French levier)’”) < Latin levator (“‘a lifter’”) < levare, past part. levatus (“‘to raise’”); see levant. Cf. alleviate, elevate, leaven.
[edit] Noun
|
Singular |
Plural |
lever (plural levers)
- (mechanics) 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.
- Specifically, 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.
- A small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device (like a button)
- (mechanics) A bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it.
- (mechanics) An arm on a rock shaft, to give motion to the shaft or to obtain motion from it.
[edit] Translations
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] Verb
|
Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to lever (third-person singular simple present levers, present participle levering, simple past and past participle levered)
- (transitive) To move with a lever.
- With great effort and a big crowbar I managed to lever the beam off the floor.
- (figuratively) (transitive) To use, operate like a lever.
- (chiefly British, finance) To increase the share of debt in the capitalization of a business.
- 1989 Jun 26, “Corporate America wants its privacy”, Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
- "The equity holders want you to 'lever up,' use as much debt as you can," said David Stanley, chairman of Kansas City-based Payless Cashways,
- 1989 Jun 26, “Corporate America wants its privacy”, Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Etymology 2
From Middle English comparative of leve (“‘dear’”) of Germanic origin (cf. German lieb) or lief.
[edit] Adverb
lever (not comparable)
|
Positive |
Superlative |
- (obsolete) Rather.
- 1530, John Heywood, The Four PP
- for I had lever be without ye / Then have suche besines about ye
- 1537, William Tyndale et al, "Jonah", in The Byble
- Now therefore take my life from me, for I had lever die then live.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faery Queene
- For lever had I die than see his deadly face.
- 1530, John Heywood, The Four PP
[edit] Translations
- Dutch: eer(der)
[edit] External links
- lever in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- lever in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Danish
[edit] Etymology 1
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /levər/, [lewˀɐ]
[edit] Noun
lever c. (singular definite leveren, plural indefinite levere)
[edit] Inflection
[edit] Etymology 2
See leve (“‘to live’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /leːvər/, [ˈleːvɐ]
[edit] Verb
lever
- Present of leve.
[edit] Etymology 3
See levere (“‘to deliver’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /lever/, [leˈveˀɐ]
[edit] Verb
lever or levér
- Imperative of levere.
[edit] Dutch
[edit] Etymology 1
Germanic, cognate with liver, German Leber, Norwegian and Swedish lever etc.
[edit] Noun
lever (plural levers, diminutive levertje, diminutive plural levertjes) m. and f.
[edit] Derived terms
- (by species) ganzenlever, kalfslever, kippenlever, rundslever, varkenslever
- leverbloem
- leverbotziekte
- leverextract n.
- leverkaas m.
- leverkleurig
- leverpastei
- levertraan m.
- levertumor
- leverworst
- leverziekte
[edit] Etymology 2
cognate with deliver, German liefern
[edit] Verb form
lever
[edit] French
[edit] Etymology
From Latin levare (“‘to elevate’”) < levis (“‘light, not heavy’”)
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Verb
lever
- (transitive) To raise, to lift
- (reflexive) To rise
- (reflexive) To get up (out of bed)
- Je me lève, je me lave.
- I get up, I wash.
- Je me lève, je me lave.
[edit] Antonyms
[edit] Related terms
- levage m.
- levant, Levant, Levantin m.
- levé
- lève
- lève-Dieu
- levée
- se lever
- lever du soleil
- lève-tard
- leveur m.
- levure
[edit] Conjugation
- This verb is conjugated mostly like the regular -er verbs (parler and chanter and so on), but the -e- /ə/ of the second-to-last syllable becomes -è- /ɛ/ before a silent or schwa -e-. For example, in the third-person singular present indicative, we have il lève rather than *il leve. Other verbs conjugated this way include acheter and mener. Related but distinct conjugations include those of appeler and préférer.
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | lever | avoir or être levé | |||||
| gerund | en levant | Use the gerund of avoir or être followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | levant | ||||||
| past participle | levé | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il | nous | vous | ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | lève | lèves | lève | levons | levez | lèvent |
| imperfect | levais | levais | levait | levions | leviez | levaient | |
| past historic | levai | levas | leva | levâmes | levâtes | levèrent | |
| future | lèverai | lèveras | lèvera | lèverons | lèverez | lèveront | |
| conditional | lèverais | lèverais | lèverait | lèverions | lèveriez | lèveraient | |
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir or être followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir or être followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | Use the past historic tense of avoir or être followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir or être followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir or être followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il | que nous | que vous | qu’ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | lève | lèves | lève | levions | leviez | lèvent |
| imperfect | levasse | levasses | levât | levassions | levassiez | levassent | |
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive of avoir or être followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir or être followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | lève | — | levons | levez | — | ||
[edit] Noun
lever m. (plural levers)
- The act of getting up in the morning
- The morning ritual, extremely elaborated in Versailles
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Hungarian
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈlɛvɛr/
- Hyphenation: le‧ver
[edit] Verb
lever
- (transitive) To knock down
[edit] Latin
[edit] Verb
lēver
- first-person singular present passive subjunctive of lēvō.
[edit] Middle English
[edit] Adverb
lever
- (obsolete) Rather.
- For him was lever have at his bed's head
Twenty bookes, clad in black or red,
. . . Than robes rich, or fithel, or gay sawtrie. —The Cantebury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer - But lever than this worldés good
She would have wist how that it stood —Tales of the Seven Deadly Sins, John Gower.
- For him was lever have at his bed's head
[edit] Norwegian
[edit] Etymology 1
Germanic, cognate with liver, Dutch lever, German Leber, Swedish lever
[edit] Noun
lever m. (definite singular leveren; indefinite plural levere; definite plural leverne)
- (anatomy) A liver
[edit] Etymology 2
[edit] Verb form
lever
- present tense of leve
[edit] Swedish
| Inflection for lever | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common | Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite |
| Nominative | lever | levern | levrar | levrarna |
| Genitive | levers | leverns | levrars | levrarnas |
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology 1
Germanic, cognate with liver, Dutch lever, German Leber, Norwegian lever
[edit] Noun
lever
- (anatomy) A liver
[edit] Etymology 2
[edit] Verb form
lever
- present tense of leva