linchpin: Meaning and Definition of
linch•pin
Pronunciation: (linch'pin"), [key] — n.
- a pin inserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on.
- something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together: The monarchy was the linchpin of the nation's traditions and society.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.