Meaning & use
mainspring
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
The main coiled spring in a clock or watch that stores energy and powers the movement.
Grammar: Countable: a watch has one mainspring.
Patterns
- the mainspring of a watch
The watchmaker replaced the broken mainspring and the clock began ticking again.
Winding the crown tightens the mainspring, which then releases energy slowly.
A weak mainspring can make a mechanical watch lose time.
nounusually singularfigurative
The most important force or motive behind an activity, change or person's behavior.
Grammar: Usually singular, followed by of: the mainspring of the project.
Patterns
- the mainspring of something
Curiosity was the mainspring of her scientific career.
Small businesses are the mainspring of the local economy.
Fear of failure was the mainspring of his hard work.
Word forms
| plural | mainsprings |
|---|
Common combinations
- the mainspring of the economy
- Trade has long been the mainspring of the economy.
- wind the mainspring
- Wind the mainspring fully before setting the time.
- the mainspring of change
- Young voters were the mainspring of change in that election.
- the mainspring of a clock
- The mainspring of the clock had rusted.
- a broken mainspring
- A broken mainspring stopped the watch at noon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- driving force
- Driving force is plainer and fits almost any context, while mainspring sounds more literary and hints at hidden energy.
- motivation
- Motivation applies to a person's reasons, while mainspring can also describe the force behind a whole system or group.
- engine
- Engine is a common metaphor for what powers growth, but mainspring suggests the central source of energy rather than the whole machine.
Word family
Commonly confused: mainspring or mainstay?
mainspring vs mainstay
A mainstay is something that supports or sustains, such as the mainstay of a team. A mainspring is what drives or starts something.
Practice
Her love of stories was the ___ of her long career in writing.
Choose one answer.
Mainspring means the chief driving force. A mainstay is a main support, which is close but does not mean what sets something in motion.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mainspring”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.