pendulous

[pen-juh-luhs, pen-duh-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pendulous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

hanging down loosely: pendulous blossoms.

swinging freely; oscillating.

vacillating or undecided; wavering.

Origin of pendulous

First recorded in 1595–1605, pendulous is from the Latin word pendulus hanging, swinging. See pend, -ulous

Related formspen·du·lous·ly, adverbpen·du·lous·ness, nounsem·i·pen·du·lous, adjectivesem·i·pen·du·lous·ly, adverbsem·i·pen·du·lous·ness, nounun·pen·du·lous, adjectiveun·pen·du·lous·ly, adverbun·pen·du·lous·ness, noun

Synonyms for pendulous

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pendulous ON THESAURUS.COM

1. dangling, drooping, pendent, sagging.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for pendulous

dangling, dependent, drooping, pending, suspended, unsettled, pensile, swinging, pendant, pendent

Examples from the Web for pendulous

Historical Examples of pendulous

His nose was pendulous and his eyes were closely set, with too crafty a look for honesty.
The Strolling Saint
Raphael Sabatini
It is readily distinguished by its flat horns and pendulous, hairy muzzle.
Boy Scouts Handbook
Boy Scouts of America
Pendulous: drooping: hanging free, attached to one end only.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith
Seeds compressed, pendulous, prolonged in a membranous wing.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines
T. H. Pardo de Tavera
This attention does not stop at the pendulous and loose prepuce.
History of Circumcision from the Earliest Times to the Present
Peter Charles Remondino

British Dictionary definitions for pendulous

pendulous

adjective

hanging downwards, esp so as to swing from side to side

Derived Formspendulously, adverbpendulousness, noun

Word Origin for pendulous

C17: from Latin pendulus, from pendēre to hang down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for pendulous

adj.

c.1600, from Latin pendulus "hanging down," figuratively "doubtful, uncertain, hesitating," from pendere "to hang" (see pendant). Related: Pendulously.