- A wheel which regulates the beats or pulses of a watch or chronometer, answering to the pendulum of a clock; -- often called simply a balance.
- A wheel which imparts regularity to the movements of any engine or machine; a fly wheel.
- A ratchet-shaped scape wheel, which in some watches is acted upon by the axis of the balance wheel proper (in those watches called a balance).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). balance wheel. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/balance_wheel/definitions/1977987 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "balance wheel" http://smartdefine.org/balance_wheel/definitions/1977987 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, balance wheel, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/balance_wheel/definitions/1977987>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "balance wheel" 27 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/balance_wheel/definitions/1977987> |