What is the meaning of Leverage?

A force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot.

Any influence which is compounded or used to gain an advantage.

The use of borrowed funds with a contractually determined return to increase the ability to invest and earn an expected higher return, but usually at high risk.

The debt-to-equity ratio.

The ability to earn very high returns when operating at high-capacity utilization of a facility.

The distance of between an independent observation and other observations.

To use; to exploit; to manipulate in order to take full advantage (of something).

Source: wiktionary.org