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Glite Dictionary
balance wheel

balance wheel

1 7.4
A small wheel in a watch or clock that swings against a thin spring to keep accurate time
  • noun
  • /ˈbæl.əns wiːl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rueda de equilibrio
  • The accuracy of mechanical watches depends mainly on the stability of the balance wheel hairspring frequency to be guaranteed.

Another one is for use as an oscillator and now enabling the the the wheel to go backwards and forwards the balance wheel.

Examples

  • To ensure accurate timekeeping, the balance wheel must oscillate consistently.

  • And now you can see the balance wheel a lot more clearly and the lead band running around the edge.

  • It's the weight of the balance wheel up here in this case, and the size of it, because what's happening is the power is feeding momentum into this object.

  • It just says smart balance wheel drifting LED scooter board black faulty, one side red flashing four photos.

  • The balance wheel in this vintage watch controls its ticking sound precisely.

  • In many timepieces, the balance wheel functions together with a hairspring to maintain regular movement.

Surface Forms

balance wheel singular
balance wheels plural

Morphology

balance + wheel

The compound is partially compositional: a B1 learner who knows 'balance' (equilibrium/ regulation) and 'wheel' (rotating object) can infer it is a wheel involved in balancing or regulating motion. However, the precise horological sense — an oscillating wheel that works with a hairspring to regulate a timepiece — is technical and not fully predictable from the constituents, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Balance wheel is the small wheel inside a watch that swings back and forth like a tiny seesaw against a thin spring to keep time steady. That's why the words balance and wheel describe the part that keeps the watch's 'beat' regular.