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Glite Dictionary
fusee drive

fusee drive

9.9
A cone-shaped part in old clocks that keeps spring power steady as it unwinds
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : mecanismo de fusée
  • The antique watch was fitted with a fusee drive to improve its accuracy.

Examples

  • The fusee drive is essential for accurate timekeeping.

  • Repairing the fusee drive required a steady hand and great attention to detail.

  • Horologists admire the ingenuity behind the fusee drive in eighteenth-century timepieces.

  • Many antique watches feature a fusee drive mechanism.

  • Horologists admire the ingenuity behind the fusee drive in eighteenth-century timepieces.

  • The antique watch was fitted with a fusee drive to improve its accuracy.

  • Repairing the fusee drive required a steady hand and great attention to detail.

Synonyms

fusee
vsfusee drive
  • Archaic
9.9

A spiral, cone-shaped rod inside old clocks that evens out power from the main spring

means the same device but highlights its role in regulating diminishing mainspring force

Surface Forms

fusee drive singular
fusee drives plural

Morphology

fusee + drive

The compound is transparently compositional: 'fusee' names a grooved, tapered spindle and 'drive' denotes a mechanism that transmits power, so 'fusee drive' straightforwardly denotes a drive/mechanism that uses a fusee. Although the term is technical and rare, a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can reasonably infer the overall meaning.

Etymology

Fusee drive is named for a cone-shaped, spiral spindle called the fusee, around which a chain wraps as a clock's spring unwinds. Because the chain moves on that spiral it makes the spring's push more even, so the term refers to 'a clock part that helps the clock keep correct time'.