# escapement

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪˈskeɪpmənt/ · frequency rank #74,077

## Definitions
1. The linkage in a (watch) that gives impulses to the timekeeping element and periodically releases the gear train to move forward, advancing the clock's hands.
2. A mechanism found in devices such as a typewriter or printer which controls lateral motion of the carriage.
3. An escape or a means of escape.
4. The number of fish that escape commercial fishing operations and travel upstream to spawn.

## Etymology
From escape + -ment. The watch component is so called because it allows a tooth to escape from a pallet at each vibration.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/escapement