4. s. (historical, legal) In Ancient Rome, a person who had contracted a nexum or obligation of such a kind that, if he failed to pay, his creditor could compel him to work as a servant until the debt was p
leverage
leverage
1. s. A force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot; see torque.
A crowbar uses leverage to pry nails out of wood.
2. s. By extension, any influence which is compounded or used to gain an advantage.
Try using competitors’ prices for leverage in the negotiation.
3. s. (finance) The use of borrowed funds with a contractually determined return to increase the ability of a business to invest and earn an expected higher return, but usually at high risk.
Leverage is great until something goes wrong with your investments and you still have to pay your debts.
4. s. (business) The ability to earn very high returns when operating at high capacity utilization of a facility.
Their variable-cost-reducing investments have dramatically increased their leverage.
5. v. (transitive, chiefly US, slang) To use; to exploit; to manipulate in order to take full advantage (of something).
They plan to leverage the publicity into a good distribution agreement.
They plan to leverage off the publicity to get a good distribution agreement.
sinecure
sinecure
1. s. A position that requires no work but still gives an ample payment; a cushy job.
2. s. An ecclesiastical benefice without the care of souls.
