oscillate
verbUS /ˈɑsɪleɪt/
Etymology First attested in 1726; borrowed from Latin ōscillātus, perfect passive participle of Latin ōscillō (“to swing”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ōscillum (“a swing”), usually identified with ōscillum (“a little face or mask hung on a tree that sways with the wind”), diminutive of ōs (“mouth, face”). See also osculate.
1
To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.
- A pendulum oscillates slower as it gets longer.
- By placing the 0.02μF capacitor on top of the whistle chip, the circuit oscillates at a lower frequency.2021 December 23, “Snap Circuits Classic”, in Snap Circuits, Elenco, page 27:
2
To vacillate between conflicting opinions, etc.
- The mood for change oscillated from day to day.
3
To vary above and below a mean value.
- Synonyms
- vacillate
- Derived terms
- oscillative, oscillaton, oscillator, unoscillated
- Related terms
- oscillation, undulate