escapement

  1. Noun.  The contrivance in a timepiece (winding wrist watch) which connects the train of wheel work with the pendulum or balance, giving to the latter the impulse by which it is kept in vibration; -- so called because it allows a tooth to escape from a pallet at each vibration.
  2. Noun.  a mechanism found in devices such as a typewriter or printer which controls lateral motion of the carriage.
  3. Noun.  an escape or means of escape.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.