pendulum

American  

[pen-juh-luhm, pen-duh-] / ˈpɛn dʒə ləm, ˈpɛn də- /

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.

3. something that tends to move from one position, condition, etc., to the opposite extreme and then back again.

   In a democratic society, the pendulum of political thought swings left and right.

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pendulum British  

/ ˈpɛndjʊləm /

noun

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

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pendulum Scientific  

/ pĕn′jə-ləm /

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• pendulumlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of pendulum

1650–60; < New Latin, noun use of neuter of Latin pendulus pendulous

Example Sentences

And since he’ll turn 27 before the Milano Cortina Olympic Games open in February, he may not be able to wait for the pendulum to swing back to have another chance at being an Olympian.

From Los Angeles Times

Crowds pressed around an ice rink blasting Christmas classics, barely audible over the joyous screams of children swaying on a pendulum ride nearby.

From Barron's

These ranged from the familiar swinging motion of a pendulum to the nonlinear behavior of electrical circuits, as well as models used in climate science and neural circuits.

From Science Daily

He predicts that when Mr. Xi dies, we can expect “another swing of the political pendulum toward a more moderate polity, just as that occurring following Mao’s demise.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Most projects take years to complete, hindered by the pendulum swings of available money, so Brewster tempers her frustration at having to waylay them mid-planning until she can find enough cash.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• timer