weather vane

or weather·vane

noun

1. a device, as a rod to which a freely rotating pointer is attached, for indicating the direction of the wind.

weather vane

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of weather vane¹

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

Alanna Santini’s friends call her the “human weather vane.”

From Los Angeles Times

Alanna Santini’s friends call her the “human weather vane.”

From Los Angeles Times

In response, Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden says Starmer is a "weather vane" who will tell the public "whatever he thinks they want to hear on any given day".

From BBC

A museum should not change directions like a weather vane but give us the reassurance that some things are timeless and provide us with the history and progression of art.

From Los Angeles Times

Regional board discount votes have often been seen as a sort of weather vane for how a regional bank’s leadership is thinking about policy — suggesting that directors might know how their president is going to vote when it comes to the federal funds rate, the important interest rate that the Fed uses to guide the speed of the economy.

From New York Times