pen·du·lum

(pĕn′jə-ləm, pĕn′dyə-, pĕn′də-)

1. 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, especially clocks. Also called simple pendulum.

2. Something that swings back and forth from one course, opinion, or condition to another: the pendulum of public opinion.

[New Latin, probably from Italian pendolo, pendulous, pendulum, from Latin pendulus, hanging; see pendulous.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pendulum

(ˈpɛndjʊləm)

1. (General Physics) 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. (Horology) such a device used to regulate a clockwork mechanism

3. something that changes its position, attitude, etc fairly regularly: the pendulum of public opinion.

[C17: from Latin pendulus pendulous]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pen•du•lum

(ˈpɛn dʒə ləm, ˈpɛn dyə-, -də-)

n.

1. a body so suspended from a fixed point as to move to and fro by the action of gravity and acquired momentum.

2. a swinging lever, weighted at the lower end, for regulating the speed of a clock mechanism.

[1650–60; < New Latin, n. use of neuter of Latin pendulus pendulous]

pen′du•lum•like`, adj.

pen·du·lum

(pĕn′jə-ləm)

A mass hung from a fixed support so that it is able to swing freely under the influence of gravity. Pendulums are often used to regulate the action of various devices, especially clocks.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pendulum

A suspended weight swinging regularly under gravity’s influence.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

pendulum - an apparatus consisting of an object mounted so that it swings freely under the influence of gravity

apparatus, setup - equipment designed to serve a specific function

bob - a hanging weight, especially a metal ball on a string

Foucault pendulum - pendulum with a long wire; can swing in any direction; the change in the swing plane demonstrates the earth's rotation

metronome - clicking pendulum indicates the exact tempo of a piece of music

compound pendulum, physical pendulum - pendulum consisting of an actual object allowed to rotate freely around a horizontal axis

simple pendulum - a hypothetical pendulum suspended by a weightless frictionless thread of constant length

Translations

بَنْدول، رَقّاص الساعَه

kyvadlo

pendul

Pendel Perpendikel

εκκρεμές πέντολο

heiluri

balancier pendule

inga

pendúll

pendolo pendulo

su švytuoklešvytuoklė

svārsta-svārsts

pendel

kyvadlokyvadlový

pendel

sarkaç

摆锤钟摆

pendulum

[ˈpendjʊləm] N → péndulo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pendulum

[ˈpɛndjʊləm] n [clock] → balancier m

pendulum

n → Pendel nt; the pendulum has swung back in the opposite direction (lit, fig) → das Pendel ist in die entgegengesetzte Richtung ausgeschlagen; the pendulum has swung back in favour (Brit) or favor (US) of or toward(s) … (fig) → die Tendenz geht wieder in Richtung (+gen) → …; the swing of the pendulum (fig) → die Tendenzwende

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pendulum

[ˈpɛndjʊləm] n → pendolo

pendulum

(ˈpendjuləm) , ((American) -dʒu-) noun

a swinging weight, eg that which operates the mechanism of a clock. The little girl watched the pendulum swing back and forwards; (also adjective) a pendulum clock.