fulcrum

Fulcrum comes from Latin fulcrum, meaning 'bedpost' or 'foot of a couch,' which itself came from the verb fulciō, 'to prop up' or 'support.'

What began as a word for the sturdy leg of a couch narrowed into the single point that bears and balances weight in a lever.

It shares its root with fulciō, the Latin verb for propping something up, which gives fulcrum its core sense of support.