gimbal
(ˈdʒɪmbəl, ˈgɪmbəl)
Forms: 6–7 gimbol(e, (8 jimbol), 7, 9 gimball, 8 gimbel, 9 gimble, (jimble), gimbald, gymbal, 8– gimbal.
[altered form of gimmal.]
† 1. = gimmal 1. Obs.
| 1605 J. Dove Confut. Atheism 37 Three gimballes compacted together are one ring, and yet three as they be disioyned. 1711 J. Greenwood Eng. Gram. 190 Gimbal, i.e. a doubled or twisted Ring. |
† 2. pl. Joints, connecting links (in machinery);
= gimmal 2. Chiefly
fig. Obs.| 1577 Stanyhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed Chron. (1807–8) VI. 15 Truly this argument hangeth together by verie strange gimbols. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. ii. 195 The ship..they found fraighted with all sorts of small yron⁓worke, as horse-shoes..boults, locks, gimbols, & such like. a 1652 Brome Damoiselle iii. ii, I can yet bowe my Haunches..My Gimboles don't complain for want of Oyle yet. |
† 3. (See
quot. 1736.)
Obs.| 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v., To prepare Gimbels, take a Quartern of Flower [etc.]. 1736 Bailey Househ. Dict., Gimbel, a kind of pastry work that is hard, about the thickness of one's little finger, form'd round, and made in the shape of a ring. |
4. pl. A contrivance by means of which articles for use at sea (
esp. the compass and the chronometer) are suspended so as to keep a horizontal position. It usually consists of a pair of rings moving on pivots in such a way as to have a free motion in two directions at right angles, so as to counteract the motion of the vessel.
| 1780 in Falconer's Dict. Marine. 1787 Cavallo Magnetism 60 Notwithstanding the contrivance of the jimbols. 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. IV. lii. App. 490 The frame of the instrument is suspended on gimbals near to the centre of gravity. 1816 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art II. 184 The ring of the gimbals rests with its pivots on a semicircle, the foot of which turns in a socket. 1858 T. R. Jones Aquar. Nat. 372 That the body may be poised, and capable of moving freely in all directions, as though suspended on gimbals. 1870 Kennan Tent-life Siberia ii. (1871) 13 The cabin lamp swung uneasily in its well-oiled gimbals. 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 115 The object of the gymbals is to keep the chronometer level. |
5. attrib. and
Comb., as
gimbal-joint; also, in sense of supported or suspended on gimbals, as
gimbal-compass,
gimbal-lamp,
gimbal-table. Also
gimbal-jawed a. (see
quot.);
gimbal-ring (see
quot.).
| 1859 Bartlett Dict. Amer., *Gimbal-jawed or Jimber-jawed, one whose lower jaw is loose and projecting. |
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., *Gimbal-joint, a two part joint having articulations on axes at right angles to each other. |
| 1883 Fisheries Exhib. Catal. 31 Collection of *Jimble and Cabin Lamps. |
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., *Gimbal-ring, a single gimbal by which the cock-eye of the upper mill-stone is supported on the spindle to permit vibration. A rynd. |
| 1851–9 Man. Sci. Enq. 91 The apparatus when used at sea is placed in a *gimball table by which the motion of the vessel is greatly counteracted. |
Hence
ˈgimballed ppl. a., fitted with or supplied with a gimbal.
| 1875 R. H. R. Rambles Istria 47 note, She has a powerful electric light..gimballed, so as to allow it to be thrown in any direction. 1876 S. Kens. Mus. Catal. No. 1148 (ed. 3) 289 This instrument is..placed on a properly constructed gimballed table. |