gimbal

noun

gim·​bal ˈgim-bəl  ˈjim- 

: a device that permits a body to incline freely in any direction or suspends it so that it will remain level when its support is tipped

—usually used in plural

called also gimbal ring

Did you know?

One place you might encounter gimbals is on a ship, where they are used to keep compasses and other things level with the horizon in contrast to the pitch and roll of the vessel at sea. The word gimbal is an alteration of "gemel," a word for a type of finger-ring popular in the 16th century that could be divided into two separate rings. The word comes from Anglo-French gemel ("twin"), which in turn comes from Latin gemellus, a diminutive of "geminus," the Latin word for "twin."

Examples of gimbal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

View gallery - 5 images With the new Osmo Mobile 8P, DJI's borrowing a handy feature from its high-end Ronin gimbals for mirrorless cameras for its latest smartphone stabilizer – and then taking things up a notch. —New Atlas, 19 May 2026

For perception and interaction, SamuRoid includes a 1080p wide-angle camera mounted on a 2-DOF gimbal, enabling wide-field-of-view tracking with pan-tilt motion. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026

An aluminum truss provided infrastructure, and custom joints, gimbals and animatronics gave the astronaut life. —Niyaz Pirani, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Most of the Mini and Neo lineup is discounted, plus a few mics and gimbals. —Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of obsolete gemel double ring, from Middle English, from Anglo-French gemel, jomel, from Latin gemellus, diminutive of geminus

First Known Use

circa 1780, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gimbal

• cymbal
• nimble
• symbol
• thimble

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