Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A short rod or shaft on which a related part rotates or swings.
  • noun A person or thing on which something depends; the central or crucial factor.
  • noun The act of turning on a pivot.
  • noun A person around which a formation of marching people turns.
  • noun Sports A player who plays at the center of the offense.
  • noun A position taken by an offensive player usually facing away from the basket near the foul line to relay passes, attempt a shot, or set screens.
  • noun The stationary foot around which the ball handler is allowed to pivot without dribbling.
  • intransitive verb To mount on, attach by, or provide with a pivot or pivots.
  • intransitive verb To cause to rotate, revolve, or turn.
  • intransitive verb To turn on a pivot.
  • intransitive verb To depend or be centered.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To place on a pivot; furnish with a pivot.
  • To turn or swing on a pivot, or as on a pivot: hinge.
  • noun A pin on which a wheel or other object turns.
  • noun Milit., the officer or soldier upon whom a line of troops wheels.
  • noun Figuratively, that on which some matter or result hinges or depends; a turning-point.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To place on a pivot.
  • noun A fixed pin or short axis, on the end of which a wheel or other body turns.
  • noun The end of a shaft or arbor which rests and turns in a support.
  • noun Hence, figuratively: A turning point or condition; that on which important results depend.
  • noun (Mil.) The officer or soldier who simply turns in his place whike the company or line moves around him in wheeling; -- called also pivot man.
  • noun a form of drawbridge in which one span, called the pivot span, turns about a central vertical axis.
  • noun a gun mounted on a pivot or revolving carriage, so as to turn in any direction.
  • noun (Dentistry) an artificial crown attached to the root of a natural tooth by a pin or peg.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A thing on which something turns; specifically a metal pointed pin or short shaft in machinery, such as the end of an axle or spindle.
  • noun Something or someone having a paramount significance in a certain situation.
  • noun Act of turning on one foot.
  • noun A player in with responsibility for co-ordinating their team in a particular jam.
  • verb intransitive To turn on an exact spot.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of turning on (or as if on) a pivot
  • noun the person in a rank around whom the others wheel and maneuver
  • noun axis consisting of a short shaft that supports something that turns
  • verb turn on a pivot

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Old French; perhaps akin to Catalan piu, pivot, perhaps from piu, chirp (from the creaking sounds made by something turning on a pivot ).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French pivot, probably connected with Italian pivolo, "peg, pin", diminutive of piva, pipa, "pipe".

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Examples

  • Morrissey also notes that this is the second time official white house communications have used the term pivot

    Elections - fresh news by plazoo.com 2009

  • The word "pivot" is often batted around in Silicon Valley circles to indicate a change in direction or business model for a company.

    Michele Colucci: Know Thy Customer Michele Colucci 2011

  • The word "pivot" is often batted around in Silicon Valley circles to indicate a change in direction or business model for a company.

    Michele Colucci: Know Thy Customer Michele Colucci 2011

  • The word "pivot" is often batted around in Silicon Valley circles to indicate a change in direction or business model for a company.

    Michele Colucci: Know Thy Customer Michele Colucci 2011

  • The word "pivot" is often batted around in Silicon Valley circles to indicate a change in direction or business model for a company.

    Michele Colucci: Know Thy Customer Michele Colucci 2011

  • He spoke with pride of accomplishing what he called a "pivot" from the policies of George W. Bush.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2012

  • The word "pivot" is often batted around in Silicon Valley circles to indicate a change in direction or business model for a company.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Michele Colucci 2011

  • Krall noted that against other currencies, the long-term pivot levels at R7. 50 versus the euro and R11. 00 versus the pound will be critical in determining future direction.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 2004

  • "I will tell you how it happened to-night," answered the draper, and as he spoke he turned round, not his long left ear upon the pivot of his skull, but his whole person upon the pivot of the counter -- to misuse the word pivot with Wordsworth -- and bolted the shop-door.

    Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 George MacDonald 1864

  • "I will tell you how it happened to-night," answered the draper, and as he spoke he turned round, not his long left ear upon the pivot of his skull, but his whole person upon the pivot of the counter -- to misuse the word pivot with Wordsworth -- and bolted the shop-door.

    Thomas Wingfold, Curate George MacDonald 1864

Comments

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  • on Friends: Ross is trying to get a big couch up tiny stairs: "PIVOT! PIVOT!"

    February 23, 2007

  • “The skater wearing the star on her helmet is the jammer. The skater wearing the stripe on her helmet is called the PIVOT. The pivot is the pack leader and defensive play caller, similar to football's middle linebacker position.�?

    Gotham Girls Roller Derby

    August 23, 2009

  • Corporate speak for a company dropping what it is doing and doing something else.

    June 28, 2016