keystone

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key·stone

(kē′stōn′)

1. Architecture A wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch, often larger or more ornamented than the other voussoirs. Also called headstone.

2. The central supporting element of a whole.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

keystone

(ˈkiːˌstəʊn)

1. (Building) Also called: headstone or quoin the central stone at the top of an arch or the top stone of a dome or vault

2. something that is necessary to connect or support a number of other related things

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

key•stone

(ˈkiˌstoʊn)

n.

1. the wedge-shaped piece at the summit of an arch, regarded as holding the other pieces in place.

2. something on which associated things depend; foundation.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	keystone - a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm" backbone, linchpin, lynchpin, mainstay, anchor support - something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest; "the policy found little public support"; "his faith was all the support he needed"; "the team enjoyed the support of their fans"
	2.	keystone - the central building block at the top of an arch or vault headstone, key arch - (architecture) a masonry construction (usually curved) for spanning an opening and supporting the weight above it building block - a block of material used in construction work coign, coigne, quoin - the keystone of an arch

keystone

noun basis, principle, core, crux, ground, source, spring, root, motive, cornerstone, lynchpin, mainspring, fundament, quoin the keystone of the government's economic policy

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

clé de voûte

chiave di volta

замок

keystone

[ˈkiːstəʊn] N (Archit) → dovela f (fig) → piedra f angular

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

keystone

[ˈkiːstəʊn] n

[arch] → clé f de voûte

[policy, system, process] → clé f de voûte

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

keystone

[ˈkiːˌstəʊn] n → chiave f di volta

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

No one could suspect that those two hands had been engaged with others in drawing out from the social edifice the keystone of royalty.

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Zoned by those letters you saw the likeness of three Andes' summits; from one a flame; a tower on another; on the third a crowing cock; while arching over all was a segment of the partitioned zodiac, the signs all marked with their usual cabalistics, and the keystone sun entering the equinoctial point at Libra.

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"What the deuce is she thinking of?" thought Gringoire, staring at what she was gazing at; "'tis impossible that it can be that stone dwarf carved in the keystone of that arch, which thus absorbs her attention.

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The Golden Gate National was the keystone of Dolliver's strength, and to the president of that institution Daylight said:--

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To him, Judge Scott was the keystone in the arch of injustice, and upon Judge Scott he emptied the vials of his wrath and hurled the threats of his revenge yet to come.

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'Industry,' said Mr Chester, 'is the soul of business, and the keystone of prosperity.

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The decline of day here was very gorgeous; tingeing the firmament deeply with red and gold, up to the very keystone of the arch above us.

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M2 PRESSWIRE-August 12, 2019-: Keystone Property Group Expanding Their Network

Keystone Property Group Expanding Their Network

Wisconsin's McDonald Insurance Agency Joins Keystone Insurers Group

Release date- 25072019 - Keystone Insurers Group (Keystone) named McDonald Insurance Agency of Hudson to its expanding list of Wisconsin partners.

Keystone adds McDonald Insurance Agency to its Growing Wisconsin Partner Community

17 July 2019 - Boston, US-based Keystone Partners has acquired the from Chicago-based Kensington International, Inc's career transition and leadership development business operations, the company said.

Keystone Partners Acquires Kensington International to Capitalise on Growth in Chicago

New Castle, PA, June 27, 2019 --(PR.com)-- Keystone Package Testing has joined the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network (APASS).