bascule

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a structure or device in which one end is counterbalanced by the other (on the principle of the seesaw)

From French bascule, from earlier French bacule, from Old French bacul, from Old French battre + cul, from Latin battuō (“beat”) + cul (“bottom”).

The assistants seized the condemned man, and pushed him on to the bascule. — Fantômas, Pierre Souvestre
I fear he may wish to govern by the system of bascule, or balancing the two parties, a perilous game[35]. — The Journal of Sir Walter Scott: From the Original Manuscript at Abbotsford, Walter Scott
(3) Attendants on swing, draw, or bascule bridges can delay traffic over the bridge or in the waterway underneath by being slow. — Simple Sabotage Field Manual, United States. Office of Strategic Services

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