balance wheel Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun a wheel that regulates the rate of movement in a machine; especially a wheel oscillating against the hairspring of a timepiece to regulate its beat
balance.
WordNet
Bal"ance wheel`
Definitions
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(Horology) (a) A wheel which regulates the beats or pulses of a watch or chronometer, answering to the pendulum of a clock; -- often called simply a balance .(b) A ratchet-shaped scape wheel, which in some watches is acted upon by the axis of the balance wheel proper (in those watches called a balance). -
(Mach.) A wheel which imparts regularity to the movements of any engine or machine; a fly wheel.