Pulley

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpʊli/

Definitions

1. A device featuring a grooved wheel that facilitates the lifting or moving of loads by utilizing a rope or chain that runs along its groove
2. An instrument composed of a circular disk that aids in lifting heavy items by enabling a rope or cable to move along its edge
3. A mechanical apparatus consisting of a wheel with a channel for a rope to assist in elevating or transferring objects by reducing friction

Etymology: The pulley is named for a little pivot. Its ancestor in Ancient Greek, "pólos", meant a pivot, hinge or axis, the point on which something turns, and the diminutive "polídion" meant "little pivot." Latin speakers borrowed the idea in the form "polidia," and by the time it reached Old French it had become "poulie," a pulley or windlass. Middle English took the word over as "puly" or "poley," so the modern spelling has been shaped by centuries of change rather than by any idea of pulling. That leads to the folk etymology. Because the device is used to pull loads, many people assume the word comes from "pull," and the two have been associated for a long time. The connection is not historical, though. The word's roots lie in turning, not in pulling, and the device's name describes the wheel's rotation around its axle.

Synonyms: block, sheave