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Definition of Pendulum - 5 dictionary results

pen⋅du⋅lum

[pen-juh-luhm, pen-duh-]
–noun
1. a body so suspended from a fixed point as to move to and fro by the action of gravity and acquired momentum.
2. Horology. a swinging lever, weighted at the lower end, for regulating the speed of a clock mechanism.

Origin:
1650–60; < NL, n. use of neut. of L pendulus pendulous


pen⋅du⋅lum⋅like, adjective
pen·du·lum   (pěn'jə-ləm, pěn'dyə-, pěn'də-)   
n.  
  1. A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices, especially clocks. Also called simple pendulum.
  2. Something that swings back and forth from one course, opinion, or condition to another: the pendulum of public opinion.

[New Latin, probably from Italian pendolo, pendulous, pendulum, from Latin pendulus, hanging; see pendulous.]

Pendulum

Pen"du*lum\, n.; pl. Pendulums. [NL., fr. L. pendulus hanging, swinging. See Pendulous.] A body so suspended from a fixed point as to swing freely to and fro by the alternate action of gravity and momentum. It is used to regulate the movements of clockwork and other machinery.

Note: The time of oscillation of a pendulum is independent of the arc of vibration, provided this arc be small.

Ballistic pendulum. See under Ballistic.

Compensation pendulum, a clock pendulum in which the effect of changes of temperature of the length of the rod is so counteracted, usually by the opposite expansion of differene metals, that the distance of the center of oscillation from the center of suspension remains invariable; as, the mercurial compensation pendulum, in which the expansion of the rod is compensated by the opposite expansion of mercury in a jar constituting the bob; the gridiron pendulum, in which compensation is effected by the opposite expansion of sets of rodsof different metals.

Compound pendulum, an ordinary pendulum; -- so called, as being made up of different parts, and contrasted with simple pendulum.

Conical or Revolving, pendulum, a weight connected by a rod with a fixed point; and revolving in a horizontal cyrcle about the vertical from that point.

Pendulum bob, the weight at the lower end of a pendulum.

Pendulum level, a plumb level. See under Level.

Pendulum wheel, the balance of a watch.

Simple or Theoretical, pendulum, an imaginary pendulum having no dimensions except length, and no weight except at the center of oscillation; in other words, a material point suspended by an ideal line.
Language Translation for : Pendulum
Spanish: péndulo,
German: das Pendel, Pendel…,
Japanese: 振り子

pendulum 
1660, from Mod.L. pendulum (1643), properly neut. of L. adj. pendulus "hanging down," from pendere "to hang" (see pendant).
pendulum   (pěn'jə-ləm)  Pronunciation Key 
A mass hung from a fixed support so that it is able to swing freely under the influence of gravity. Since the motion of pendulums is regular and periodic, they are often used to regulate the action of various devices, especially clocks.
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