mainspring

2 7.9

A spring inside a clock or watch that stores energy and makes it run

noun
/ˈmeɪnˌsprɪŋ/

Specialized

: muelle principal

When the mainspring is fully wound, the clock will run for hours without needing to be rewound.

Supply chain disruptions during the pandemic meant that certain watch parts like Mainspring's were in short supply.

Examples

Determinism only applies to the reaction of nonliving things to external forces, or to the motions of automatons using energy temporarily stored within them, but ultimately of external origin, such as a wound mainspring of a watch or music box.

Blog text (25)
The mainspring of the clock stores energy and powers the movement of the hands.
And when we pull this string, we're winding up this mainspring just like a clock.
This is the mainspring in a relaxed state inside the barrel drum.
There were no giant spiral mainsprings inside that could be wound up to power the wheel and supply the high bursts of power it outputted.

Blog text (12)
A mechanical watch relies on the mainspring to keep accurate time as it gradually unwinds.

Surface Forms

mainspring singular

mainsprings plural

Morphology

mainspring = main + spring (transparent) = main + spring

A straightforward compound: 'main' (primary) + 'spring' (mechanical coil), so the meaning 'primary spring' is directly derivable.

Etymology

The word mainspring combines main meaning 'primary' and spring meaning 'a metal coil that stores energy', like the spring in a pen. So the mainspring is the main coil that stores energy and makes a clock or watch run.