/i skayp"meuhnt/ , n.
1. Horol. the portion of a watch or clock that measures beats and controls the speed of the going train. Cf. anchor escapement, deadbeat (def. 1), lever escapement .
2. a mechanism for regulating the motion of a typewriter carriage, consisting of pawls and a toothed wheel or rack.
3. a mechanism in a piano that causes a hammer to fall back into rest position immediately after striking a string.
4. an act of escaping.
5. Archaic. a way of escape; outlet.
[ 1730-40; ESCAPE + -MENT (calque of F échappement ]