What does “pivot” mean, and how does the ring-and-chain trick use one?

Explaining this trick, the video says: “One edge hits the chain first. That point becomes a pivot, flipping the ring around the chain.” A pivot is the fixed point something turns around, like a door turning on its hinge. Here, it’s the exact spot on the chain where the falling ring changes direction and gets caught.

“Pivot” jumped from a physical hinge point into everyday language for any turning point. In sport, a basketball player pivots on one foot without traveling. In business, a company “pivots” when it changes its whole strategy or product, using the same core idea: one fixed point, and a sudden change of direction around it.