pendulum
Use Pendulum in a sentence
dʒə 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.
Related forms
pen·du·lum·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To pendulum
Collins
World English Dictionary
pendulum (ˈpɛndjʊləm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a body mounted so that it can swing freely under the influence of gravity. It is either a bob hung on a light thread (simple pendulum) or a more complex structure (compound pendulum) |
| 2. | such a device used to regulate a clockwork mechanism |
| 3. | something that changes its position, attitude, etc fairly regularly: the pendulum of public opinion |
| [C17: from Latin pendulus | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Pendulum
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pendulum
1660, from Mod.L. pendulum (1643), properly neut. of L. adj. pendulus "hanging down," from pendere "to hang" (see pendant).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| 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. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
First, you drilled holes in the sides of the pendulum casing of your grandfather clock.
Medium term, the market's pendulum will swing from this extreme to the opposite.
Now as art supplies dwindle, the pendulum swings back the other way.
With the wars well ended, it was now time for a swing of the pendulum.
Nearby Words
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