noun
Dated term for a mechanical spring. In modern Japanese, ばね (often written 発条 or バネ) is far more common. はつじょう may still appear in older technical texts or formal contexts.
See also: ばね
古い時計の発条が錆びて動かなくなった。
The spring of the old clock rusted and stopped working.
この機械には特殊な発条が使われている。
A special spring is used in this machine.
The standard modern word for 'spring'. はつじょう is a dated synonym; learners should use ばね in everyday speech.
The kanji 発条 literally mean 'emit' and 'strip/line', likely referring to the coiled shape and the release of stored energy. The reading はつじょう is the on'yomi of the characters. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.