pendulum
nounUK /ˈpɛnd͡ʒʊləm/ · US /ˈpɛnd͡ʒələm/
Etymology Borrowed from the neuter of Latin pendulus (“hanging”).
1
Engineering, Mechanical engineering, Mechanics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences 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 such as clocks.
2
Engineering, Mechanical engineering, Mechanics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Broadly The tendency of a situation to oscillate (between two extremes).
- The pendulum can be seen to be swinging in favour of rail, as with each issue of RAIL comes news of further intermodal service expansion.2021 October 20, Industry Insider, “The wheels turn slowly”, in RAIL, number 942, page 68:
3
A lamp, etc. suspended from a ceiling.
4
A watch's guard-ring by which it is attached to a chain.
- Derived terms
- archipendulum, ballistic pendulum, compensation pendulum, compound pendulum, double pendulum, Foucault pendulum, Foucault's pendulum, invariable pendulum, Kater's pendulum, pendulum arbitration, pendulum clock, pendulumlike, pendulum reading, pendulum saw, pendulum wire, play pendulum, Schuler pendulum, simple pendulum, torsion pendulum, Wilberforce pendulum
- Related terms
- pendant, simple harmonic motion