Meaning of the word pendulum in English

What does pendulum mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

pendulum

US /ˈpen.dʒəl.əm/
UK /ˈpen.dʒəl.əm/
"pendulum" picture

Noun

1.

a weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely backward and forward, especially one used to regulate the mechanism of a clock

Example:
The pendulum of the grandfather clock swung steadily back and forth.
In physics class, we measured the period of a simple pendulum.
2.

used to refer to the tendency of a situation to oscillate between one extreme and another

Example:
The political pendulum has swung back to the conservative side.
Public opinion is like a pendulum, constantly shifting.
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