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gimbal

noun

  1. pivoted support for rotation
L34841 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. swivel about a gimbal support
L34842 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɪmbəl/ / /ˈɡɪmbəl/

noun

Etymology: Alteration of gemel, from Old French gemel, jumel (“twin”) (French jumeau), from Latin gemellus.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. To move a reaction engine about on a gimbal so as to obtain pitching and yawing correction moments.
  3. To swivel, move on an axis.