clevis

Meaning

Noun

• A U-shaped coupling having holes at each end, through which a bolt is run; used especially to fit attachments to a tractor or other vehicle as it allows a degree of rotation about the bolt.

Origin

• First attested in the 1590s. Origin unknown; probably derived from the verb cleave. If so, the word ultimately may stem from Scandinavian: compare Old Norse kljúfa, Old Norse klofi.