pendulum

[ pen-juh-luhm, pen-duh- ]

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.

pendulum

/ 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

pendulum

/ 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.

Other Words From

• pendu·lum·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pendulum¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pendulum¹

C17: from Latin pendulus pendulous

Example Sentences

Over the decades, the pendulum has swung back and forth between more decentralized and more coordinated models of the economy, each time expecting a different result.

From Fortune

Elections have swung back and forth in an almost predictable pendulum fashion since 1992 — unified control of one party, divided government, unified control of the other party, and so forth, over and over.

From FiveThirtyEight

In the past four months, talk of reform and proposed structural changes to combat racism at agencies has started to shift the pendulum — but more action is required.

From Digiday

Snails with coiled or elongated shells tended to swim straight up, and to sink straight down whenever they stopped flapping, their shells hanging like pendulums beneath their wings.

From Science News

As the pendulum swings away from data-heavy, third-party based audience targeting, publishers are using contextual data tools in smarter ways and gaining more control over their contextual ad revenues.

From Digiday

But gerrymandering has cold cocked the pendulum weight, stopped it dead.

From The Daily Beast

The pendulum swing between moods and tone, however, became a staple of the shoot.

From The Daily Beast

I think the pendulum has swung back on that because of books like The Blood Telegram.

From The Daily Beast

The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction from physician paternalism towards willful ignorance by patients.

From The Daily Beast

Shaked spoke in these generalities initially—referring to two sets of people, two polar opposites on a pendulum.

From The Daily Beast

By what word is the relation between “pendulum” and “a smile and tear” described?

From Project Gutenberg

The sword clattered from his hand and rolled, with a pendulum-like movement, to the feet of Garnache.

From Project Gutenberg

To swing a pendulum, picked out from a number of them at random, without touching it is a very puzzling trick.

From Project Gutenberg

Another pendulum may be pointed out and he will start that one apparently by looking at it, while the other one stops.

From Project Gutenberg

With a little practice anyone can become a skilled medium in pendulum swinging.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• timer