escapement
noun
es·cape·ment
| \ i-ˈskāp-mənt
\
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Definition of escapement
1a
: a device in a timepiece which controls the motion of the train of wheelwork and through which the energy of the power source is delivered to the pendulum or balance by means of impulses that permit a tooth to escape from a pallet at regular intervals
b
: a ratchet device (such as the spacing mechanism of a typewriter) that permits motion in one direction only in equal steps
Illustration of escapement
escapement 1a
Examples of escapement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s more than last year’s total escapement of 44,110 fish and is already beyond the department’s biological escapement goal of 22,000 to 42,000 early run sockeye. — Matt Tunseth, Anchorage Daily News, "Fish and Game to raise Russian River sockeye limit to 9 fish per day starting Wednesday," 18 June 2019 Invented to prevent timing fluctuations caused by a pocket watch's static vertical orientation, a tourbillon holds the escapement in a rotating cage, offsetting gravity's negative effects. — Popular Mechanics, "The Tiny Machines That Make Watches Beautiful (and Expensive)," 19 Feb. 2015These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'escapement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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