gimbal

plural gimbals

1. aircraft; spacecraft; aircraft; spacecraftnauticalA device for suspending something, such as a ship's compass, so that it will remain level when its support is tipped.

   1934, A. E. W. Mason, “The Chronometer,” Chapter II, in Dilemmas, London: Hodder & Stoughton, He lifted the chronometer off the gimbals on which it was slung in the mahogany case and showed the number engraved upon the bottom.

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   The lamp wriggled in its gimbals, the barometer swung in circles, the table altered its slant every moment […]

   1902, Joseph Conrad, chapter II, in Typhoon

present singular third person gimbals · US participle present gimbaling · UK participle present gimballing · US participle past gimbaled · US past gimbaled · UK participle past gimballed · UK past gimballed

1. transitiveTo suspend using a gimbal or gimbals.

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   1918, Richard Dehan (Clotilde Graves), That Which Hath Wings, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Chapter 32, […] he conned his course in masterly fashion by aid of the roller-map, protected by its transparent, rainproof casing, or the compass, clock, altimeter, and other instruments gimballed in the wooden frame in front of the pilot’s seat.

2. transitivespace flightTo move a reaction engine about on a gimbal so as to obtain pitching and yawing correction moments.
3. intransitiveTo swivel, move on an axis.