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keystone

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
key·stone  (kstn)
n.
1. Architecture The central wedge-shaped stone of an arch that locks its parts together. Also called headstone.
2. The central supporting element of a whole.

keystone
Noun
1. the most important part of a process, organization, etc.: the keystone of the government's economic policy
2. the central stone at the top of an arch
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.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"
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
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
Translations
keystone [ˈkiːstəun] npiedra clave


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? Mentioned in ? 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.
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.
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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