collet

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: col=let

CIDE DICTIONARY

collet,  [Corrupted fr. acolyte.].

 An inferior church servant. [Obs.] See Acolyte.  [1913 Webster]

collet, n. [F. collet, dim. fr. L. collum neck. See Collar.].

•  A small collar or neckband.  Foxe.  [1913 Webster]
•  A small metal ring; a small collar fastened on an arbor; as, the collet on the balance arbor of a watch; a small socket on a stem, for holding a drill.  [1913 Webster]
•  The part of a ring containing the bezel in which the stone is set.  [1913 Webster]

  "How full the collet with his jewel is!"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

collet, n.
1 a flange or socket for setting a gem in jewellery.
2 Engin. a segmented band or sleeve put round a shaft or spindle and tightened to grip it.
3 Horol. a small collar to which the inner end of a balance spring is attached.

Etymology

F, dimin. of COL