from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Fulcrum \Ful"crum\, n.; pl. L. {Fulcra}, E. {Fulcrums}. [L.,
bedpost, fr. fulcire to prop.]
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1. A prop or support.
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2. (Mech.) That by which a lever is sustained, or about which
it turns in lifting or moving a body.
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3. (Bot.) An accessory organ such as a tendril, stipule,
spine, and the like. [R.] --Gray.
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4. (Zool.)
(a) The horny inferior surface of the lingua of certain
insects.
(b) One of the small, spiniform scales found on the front
edge of the dorsal and caudal fins of many ganoid
fishes.
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5. (Anat.) The connective tissue supporting the framework of
the retina of the eye.
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