weather vane

American  

Or weathervane

noun

1. a device, as a rod to which a freely rotating pointer is attached, for indicating the direction of the wind.

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weather vane British  

noun

1. a vane designed to indicate the direction in which the wind is blowing

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Etymology

Origin of weather vane

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

The remarks by Williams are especially important because he is a top ally of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and is seen as a weather vane for the bank’s future moves.

From MarketWatch

It’s built like a house—a really, really big house—with two chimneys, a wraparound porch, and a weather vane on the roof.

From Literature

When throngs of visitors move through the show, which started Nov. 8, they’ll create air currents, stirring the mobiles to move in a slow ballet of weather vanes.

From Seattle Times

A museum should not change directions like a weather vane but give us the reassurance that some things are timeless and provide us with the history and progression of art.

From Los Angeles Times

There are weather vanes with more firmly fixed positions.

From Los Angeles Times