balance wheel

American  

noun

Horology.

1. balance.

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balance wheel British  

noun

1. a wheel oscillating against the hairspring of a timepiece, thereby regulating its beat

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Etymology

Origin of balance wheel

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

Public colleges and universities have long been known as the balance wheel in state budgets.

From Washington Post

I observed with special delight as a watchmaker inserted a balance wheel into a new watch, and it came to life for the first time.

From The New Yorker

In bad times, states often use their higher education funds as the balance wheel to keep their budget in order.

From New York Times

The watch’s mechanisms — including its “balance wheel,” whose oscillation is visible through an opening in the watch face — are so precise that the device loses or gains only two seconds a day.

From New York Times

We sat down and did a "balance wheel," writing down all the different aspects of my life so I could figure out what I needed to work on.

From Los Angeles Times