lever

lever · noun, verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromlevātor“a lifter”
2. French · derived fromlevier
3. Old French · derived fromleveor
4. Middle English · inherited fromlever
5. English todaylever

From Middle English lever, levore, levour, from Old French leveor, leveur (“a lifter, lever (also Old French and French levier)”), from Latin levātor (“a lifter”), from levō (“to raise”). Doublet of levator.

lever · adverb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromlever
2. English todaylever

From Middle English lever, comparative of leve, leef (“dear, beloved, lief”), equivalent to lief + -er. Related to German lieber (“rather”).

lever · noun³

1. French · borrowed fromlever
2. French · borrowed fromlever
3. English todaylever

Borrowed from French lever.

Words from the same roots