A weighted oscillating bar used in early mechanical clocks to regulate timekeeping, similar to a pendulum but moving back and forth horizontally.
From Old French 'foliot,' possibly related to 'folie' (madness or movement), describing the rhythmic oscillating motion of this clock mechanism.
Before pendulum clocks existed, the foliot was the heartbeat of all timekeeping—medieval monasteries used foliot-regulated clocks to ring bells for prayers, creating the first time-organized societies in history.
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