overbank

American

[oh-ver-bangk] / ˌoʊ vərˈbæŋk /

verb (used without object)

Horology.

to have the balance staff oscillate so greatly that the fork of the lever fails to engage, rendering the escapement inoperative.

Etymology

Origin of overbank

First recorded in 1880–85; over- + bank ¹

Example Sentences

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overbank

In spite of this the model runs very actively and will overbank if wound up very far.

From The Auburndale Watch Company First American Attempt Toward the Dollar Watch by Battison, Edwin A.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023