gimbal
noun
- pivoted support for rotation
verb
- swivel about a gimbal support
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɪmbəl/ / /ˈɡɪmbəl/
noun
Etymology: Alteration of gemel, from Old French gemel, jumel (“twin”) (French jumeau), from Latin gemellus.
- A device for suspending something, such as a ship's compass, so that it will remain level when its support is tipped.
“The lamp wriggled in its gimbals, the barometer swung in circles, the table altered its slant every moment […]”
“1934, A. E. W. Mason, “The Chronometer,” Chapter II, in Dilemmas, London: Hodder & Stoughton, He lifted the chronometer off the gimbals on which it was slung in the mahogany case and showed the number engraved upon the bottom.”
verb
Etymology: Alteration of gemel, from Old French gemel, jumel (“twin”) (French jumeau), from Latin gemellus.
- To suspend using a gimbal or gimbals.
“1918, Richard Dehan (Clotilde Graves), That Which Hath Wings, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Chapter 32, […] he conned his course in masterly fashion by aid of the roller-map, protected by its transparent, rainproof casing, or the compass, clock, altimeter, and other instruments gimballed in the wooden frame in front of the pilot’s seat.”
- To move a reaction engine about on a gimbal so as to obtain pitching and yawing correction moments.
- To swivel, move on an axis.