key·stone

[kee-stohn]
noun
1.
the wedge-shaped piece at the summit of an arch, regarded as holding the other pieces in place.
2.
something on which associated things depend: the keystone of one's philosophy.
3.
Also called keystone sack. Baseball Slang. second base ( def 1 ).
Origin:
1630–40; key1 + stone

Synonyms
2. basis, principle, foundation, linchpin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
keystone (ˈkiːˌstəʊn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  headstone, Also called: quoin the central stone at the top of an arch or the top stone of a dome or vault
2.  something that is necessary to connect or support a number of other related things

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Keystone is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

keystone
"stone in the middle of an arch, which holds up the others," 1637, from key (1) in fig. sense of "that which holds together other parts." Fig. sense is from 1641. Pennsylvania was called the Keystone State because of its position (geographical and political) in the original
American confederation, between northern states and southern ones. Keystone cops were the bumbling crew of officers in the slapstick films produced by Keystone Company, formed by Canadian-born U.S. film director Mack Sennett (1884-1960) in 1912.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The relationship is indeed a geopolitical keystone for both countries.
Orr considers a keystone in the city's revitalization.
The party was the keystone of a political system that has long been crumbling.
It is a bone you could equate to a keystone of an arch-the stone that keeps an arch from falling in on itself.
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