foliot

9.9

A horizontal bar with small weights that controls the speed of an early mechanical clock

noun
/ˈfoʊliˌɑt/

Archaic

: foliot

The foliot is essential for the clock's accuracy.

Examples

The clockmaker adjusted the foliot to ensure the clock kept accurate time.
Many early clocks featured a foliot for regulation.
The ancient tower clock was controlled by a foliot instead of a pendulum.
Historians restored the old mechanism, carefully balancing the foliot to keep accurate time.
Before the invention of the pendulum, the foliot was essential in early European clocks.
To regulate the speed of the pendulum, he carefully calibrated the foliot with the correct weights.
In early mechanical clocks, the foliot was essential for controlling the movement of the gear mechanism.

Surface Forms

foliot singular

foliots plural

Etymology

The word foliot may come from an old French word related to Latin folium, which means 'leaf'. A helpful way to remember it is to picture a small, weighted bar that swings like a leaf to set a clock's beat, so a foliot is the early device that controls a clock's movement.