Linchpin

{{Short description|Pin to prevent a rotating part from sliding off an axle}}

{{For|the song by Fear Factory|Linchpin (song)}}

File:A aesthetic linchpin.JPG

File:Lynch-pin.jpg

A linchpin, also spelled lynchpin, is a fastener used to prevent a wheel or other part from sliding off the axle upon which it is riding. The word is first attested in the late fourteenth century and derives from Middle English elements meaning "axletree pin".[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924055216/https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/108578 linch-pin, n.].OED Online. June 2014. Oxford University Press. (accessed December 21, 2024; [https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/108578 original link] now behind paywall).[https://www.etymonline.com/word/linchpin linchpin (n.)]. Online Etymology Dictionary. (accessed 1 June 2018).

Securing implements onto the three-point hitch of a tractor is an example of application. Linchpins may also be used in place of an R-clip for securing hitch pins.{{cite web |url=https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/building_construction/building_supplies/fasteners/hitch_pins_linch_pins |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818233034/http://www.globalspec.com/LearnMore/Building_Construction/Building_Supplies/Fasteners/Hitch_Pins_Linch_Pins |archive-date=2010-08-18 |title=Hitch Pins and Linch Pins Information on GlobalSpec}}