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weather vane

or weath·er·vane

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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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Origin of weather vane

First recorded in 1715–25
Also called vane, wind vane.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for weather-vane

Historical Examples

  • His plans were like a weather-vane, altered by every breeze.

    Micah Clarke

    Arthur Conan Doyle

  • Every year a man climbs to the top to grease the weather-vane.

  • Standing there, he succeeded in straightening the rod that held the weather-vane.

  • Ross also looked at the weather-vane, and then at the advancing cloud.

    The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men

    Francis William Rolt-Wheeler

  • This species of weather-vane which looked upon the pavement was the signboard.

British Dictionary definitions for weather-vane

weather vane

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

n.

also weathervane, 1721, from weather (n.) + vane.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper