Real Dictionary

lever
countable noun: A lever is a handle or bar that is attached to a piece of machinery and which you push or pull in order to operate the machinery.

lever in American English
a bar used as a pry
to move with or apply a lever
to move, lift, etc. with or as with a lever
noun: a rigid bar that pivots about one point and that is used to move an object at a second point by a force applied at a third

lever in British English
noun: a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum, used to transfer a force to a load and usually to provide a mechanical advantage
verb: to prise or move (an object) with a lever

lever in Mechanical Engineering
noun: A lever is a rigid bar pivoted around a fulcrum, used to transfer a force to a load and usually to provide a mechanical advantage.