1. a person or thing that hinges; something that depends on or turns on a particular point or condition
Usage: often used in phrases like 'the hinger of the deal' to mean the crucial factor
2. a device or hardware component that allows a door, lid, or other object to swing or rotate
Usage: less common than 'hinge' for this meaning; 'hinge' is the standard term

Examples

• The success of the project is a hinger on securing funding by next month.
• The entire agreement hinges on one key hinger: the price of raw materials.
• Without that crucial hinger, the whole plan falls apart.
• The hinger of their relationship was trust and communication.
• That single decision became the hinger for everything that followed.