> as lemmas

1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) xxvi. 116 Vnder eche horse there was full pryuely A grete whele made by craftly geometry With many cogges vnto whiche were tyed Dyuerse cordes.

1538 T. Elyot Dict. Tympanum, is also a great whele, wherein men do goo and drawe vp water.

1598 tr. J. de Serres Hist. Coll. 50 Diuers Politicians..were of opinion, that this great Wheele of earthly prosperities, would shortly turne about.

1610 D. Price Creation of Prince sig. D3 With a good heart there is euer a wise tongue..and a humble minde, this beeing like the great wheele in a watch, all the lesser depend vpon it.

1655 J. Howell 4th Vol. Familiar Lett. xxix. 70 Till the great wheel of providence turn up another spoke.

1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. xiv. 235 Of Turning Oval Work. This Work may be perform'd in the Common Lathe that goes either with the Treddle Wheel or the great Wheel.

1776 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations I. ii. ii. 346 The great wheel of circulation [sc. money] is altogether different from the goods which are circulated by means of it. View more context for this quotation

1850 E. B. Denison Rudimentary Treat. Clock & Watch Making i. lxxxi. 110 The great wheel of a weight-clock rides on the barrel arbor.

1903 O. Kuhns Great Poets Italy ix. 287 When the ‘great wheel’ of Napoleon's prosperity began to roll down hill, Monti let go for fear his own career should be involved in the ruin of the great Corsican.

1948 A. L. Rawlings Sci. Clocks & Watches xiii. 240 Most spring clocks and watches have a ‘going barrel’, which is in one piece with the first wheel of the train called the great wheel.

1968 D. Braithwaite Fairground Archit. 56 The ‘Great Wheel’ at the Earls Court Exhibition in 1894, a semi-permanent structure, seated 1,200 riders in 40 carriages.

2010 C. McKay Big Ben xvii. 228/1 The engaged winding pinion is on a swinging arm; this arm has a click that engages with flat ratchet teeth set on the rear face of the great wheel.