Gim"bal (?), or Gim"bals (&?;), n. [See Gimmal, n.] A contrivance for
permitting a body to incline freely in all directions, or for
suspending anything, as a barometer, ship's compass, chronometer, etc.,
so that it will remain plumb, or level, when its support is tipped, as
by the rolling of a ship. It consists of a ring in which the body can
turn on an axis through a diameter of the ring, while the ring itself
is so pivoted to its support that it can turn about a diameter at right
angles to the first.
Gimbal joint (Mach.), a universal joint embodying the principle of the
gimbal. -- Gimbal ring, a single gimbal, as that by which the cockeye
of the upper millstone is supported on the spindle.
Gim"blet (?), n. & v. See Gimlet.
Gim"crack` (?), n. [OE., a spruce and pert pretender, also, a spruce
girl, prob. fr. gim + crack lad, boaster.] A trivial mechanism; a
device; a toy; a pretty thing. Arbuthnot.
Gim"let (?), n. [Also written and pronounced gimbled (&?;)] [OF.
guimbelet, guibelet, F. gibelet, prob. fr. OD. wimpel, weme, a bore,
wemelen to bore, to wimble. See Wimble, n.] A small tool for boring
holes. It has a leading screw, a grooved body, and a cross handle.
Gimlet eye, a squint-eye. [Colloq.] Wright.
Gim"let, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gimleted; p. pr. & vb. n. Gimleting.] 1.
To pierce or make with a gimlet.
2. (Naut.) To turn round (an anchor) by the stock, with a motion like
turning a gimlet.
Gim"mal (?), n. [Prob. the same word as gemel. See Gemel, and cf.
Gimbal.] 1. Joined work whose parts move within each other; a pair or
series of interlocked rings.