bellwether means the leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck. It carries an Arena rating of 1668, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, bellwether ranks #167 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #395 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #619 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #626 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words.
bellwether is pronounced /ˈbɛlwɛðə/.
Why “bellwether” is a great word
A person or thing that leads a group or indicates a future trend. From Middle English *bellewether*, from *belle* ("bell") + *wether* ("a castrated male sheep"), referring to the leading sheep of a flock, which wore a bell. Unlike a “trendsetter,” who actively creates a new fashion, or a “harbinger,” who specifically announces an approaching event, a bellwether is a passive indicator, its mere position revealing the path the whole will take. It is the single precinct whose vote mirrors the national result, the obscure stock that tumbles before the market crashes, the minor skirmish that presages the coming war—a humble, unwitting instrument whose soft jingle tolls the shape of what is already advancing.
Etymology
From Middle English belwether, belleweder, equivalent to bell + wether (“castrated ram”).
noun
- The leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck.
- Anything that indicates future trends.e.g.“Mortgage delinquencies often act as a bellwether for a forthcoming recession.”
- A stock or bond that is widely believed to be an indicator of the overall market's condition.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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