pendulum means 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 such as clocks. It carries an Arena rating of 1877, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pendulum ranks #61 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #182 of 42,749 for Qualifying, #231 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #759 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
pendulum is pronounced /ˈpɛnd͡ʒʊləm/.
Why “pendulum” is a great word
A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate mechanisms such as clocks, or metaphorically, the tendency of a situation to oscillate between extremes. From the neuter form of Latin *pendulus* ("hanging"). Unlike an oscillator—a broad term for any periodic motion—or a plumb bob—a weight hung for a static vertical—a pendulum is defined by its anchored pivot and its gravitationally compelled arc. It is the hypnotic swing of the grandfather clock’s brass weight, the metronome’s tireless tick above sheet music, the child on a rope swing reaching for the sky only to fall back—a perfect embodiment of measured recurrence, proving that the surest path forward is often a perpetual return.
Etymology
Borrowed from the neuter of Latin pendulus (“hanging”).
noun
- 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 such as clocks.
- 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 such as clocks.; The tendency of a situation to oscillate (between two extremes).e.g.“The pendulum can be seen to be swinging in favour of rail, as with each issue of RAIL comes news of further intermodal service expansion.” — 2021 October 20, Industry Insider, “The wheels turn slowly”, in RAIL, number 942, page 68:
- A lamp, etc. suspended from a ceiling.
- A watch's guard-ring by which it is attached to a chain.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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