kingpin
kingpin Lexical Profile
kingpin Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person or thing that is essential to the success of an organization or operation, especially the chief leader of an illicit syndicate or cartel.
"Federal investigators spent years building a case against the notorious smuggling kingpin."
A main large vertical bolt that serves as a pivot, such as the pin connecting a semi-trailer to a tractor unit, the central bolt in a skateboard truck, or the main steering pivot in an automotive suspension.
"The mechanic inspected the worn kingpin on the front axle of the delivery truck."
The foremost or central pin in a set of bowling pins ( specifically the number five pin in tenpin bowling).
"To convert the difficult split, the bowler knew the ball had to clip the kingpin cleanly."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in the mid-19th century as a compound of "king" and "pin", originally referring to the central bowling pin and the main pivot bolt of a wagon before developing its figurative sense of a chief leader.