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Glite Dictionary
escape wheel

escape wheel

8.8
A wheel with teeth in a mechanical clock or watch that controls how the gears move
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : rueda de escape
  • The escape wheel is a critical component in the regulation of a mechanical watch.

Examples

  • Dust or dirt can cause the escape wheel to malfunction, affecting the timekeeping accuracy.

  • The watchmaker carefully placed the escape wheel back into position during the repair.

  • The escape wheel controls the clock's ticking.

  • The clockmaker replaced the escape wheel last week.

  • The escape wheel is crucial for the clock's accuracy, as it regulates the release of energy.

  • When the pendulum swings, it interacts with the escape wheel to keep the clock running smoothly.

  • Each tooth of the escape wheel engages with the escapement, controlling the clock's ticking sound.

Surface Forms

escape wheel singular
escape wheels plural

Morphology

escape + wheel

The compound is compositionally built from 'escape' (release) + 'wheel' (rotating object), so a learner could guess it is a wheel related to an escaping or release function. However, the precise horological sense — a toothed gear that engages the escapement to regulate movement — is technical and not directly predictable from the common senses of the constituents. Therefore it offers a clear clue but requires specialised knowledge, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Escape wheel comes from old clocks: the small toothed wheel was allowed to escape one tooth at a time past a little lever, like a gate letting people through slowly. That's why the name means the clock part that helps 'control' the movement and 'keep time'.