bascule

noun

bas·​cule ˈba-(ˌ)skyül How to pronounce bascule (audio)
: an apparatus or structure (such as a drawbridge) in which one end is counterbalanced by the other on the principle of the seesaw or by weights

Examples of bascule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The city's 20 movable bridges include 13 bascule bridges. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2022 The Kilbourn Avenue Bridge is a bascule bridge, or drawbridge. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2022 It was designed by an engineer named Joseph Strauss, whose company specialized in such raisable bridges, known as bascule bridges. Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Mar. 2022 The city also renovated the controls and interior equipment for the two-level bascule bridge, which must be able to open to allow boat traffic between the Chicago River and the lake. Liam Ford, chicagotribune.com, 10 May 2021 Main Street Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that spans the Indian River, roughly 20 feet below. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 16 Apr. 2021 Police said Gomez was eager to cross the Fort Street bascule bridge near Miller Road at about 7 p.m. Wednesday, stepped on the accelerator and flew through the air, landing on the other side. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 19 Sep. 2020 The bascule-and-suspension bridge, completed in 1894, failed to close after opening to allow ships on the River Thames to pass underneath. Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2020 The flyover will run partly over the Depression-era Lake Shore Drive bascule bridge over the river, and repairs to the bridge have proved more extensive and expensive than expected. Mary Wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, 30 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bascule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, seesaw

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bascule was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near bascule

Cite this Entry

“Bascule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bascule. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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