KEYSTONE

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

The central building block at the top of an arch or vault

Synonyms:

headstone; key; keystone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("keystone" is a kind of...):

building block (a block of material used in construction work)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "keystone"):

coign; coigne; quoin (the keystone of an arch)

Holonyms ("keystone" is a part of...):

arch ((architecture) a masonry construction (usually curved) for spanning an opening and supporting the weight above it)

Meaning:

A central cohesive source of support and stability

Example:

he is the linchpin of this firm

Synonyms:

anchor; backbone; keystone; linchpin; lynchpin; mainstay

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("keystone" is a kind of...):

support (something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest)