pendulum
Weight that oscillates
A pendulum is a weight suspended from a fixed point so it can swing freely back and forth.
The regular motion of pendulums made them essential to early clocks.
Figuratively, pendulum describes anything that swings between extremes: The political pendulum has swung back toward conservatism.
The phrase swing of the pendulum suggests cyclical reversals.
Father's or mother's father
- horologyTimekeeping science and craft
- escapementTick-controlling clock component
- timepieceHour-measuring device
- mechanismMeans by which something operates
regulator · ticktock · chime · movement · clockwork · longcase · seconds · timing
Repeated back-and-forth movement
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- arcCurved line segment
- bobShort vertical movement
- motionChange in position
sway · sweep · amplitude · period · frequency · momentum · velocity · trajectory
Prominent French family name
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- rotationTurning on an axis
- EarthOur world
- precessionRotating axis gradually reorients
gravity · inertia · mass · period · length · simple · compound · spherical
Inability to choose
- fluctuationIrregular change over time
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- alternationSequential interchange of elements
- shiftMovement or work period
cycle · ebb · flow · change · reversal · oscillation · extremes · polarity
grandfather
Father's or mother's father
- horologyTimekeeping science and craft
- escapementTick-controlling clock component
- timepieceHour-measuring device
mechanism · regulator · ticktock · chime · movement · clockwork · longcase · seconds · timing · accuracy
oscillation
Repeated back-and-forth movement
motion · sway · sweep · amplitude · period · frequency · momentum · velocity · trajectory · deflection
Foucault
Prominent French family name
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- rotationTurning on an axis
- EarthOur world
precession · gravity · inertia · mass · period · length · simple · compound · spherical · conical
vacillation
Inability to choose
- fluctuationIrregular change over time
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- alternationSequential interchange of elements
shift · cycle · ebb · flow · change · reversal · oscillation · extremes · polarity · back-and-forth
dowsing
Locating hidden water underground
- scryingVisionary surface-gazing
- fortune-tellingClaiming to predict futures
- occultConcealed from view
séance · spirit · yes-no · intuition · oracle · psychic · esoteric · mysticism · channeling · answers
trance
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
watch · suggestion · hypnotist · focus · fixation · relaxation · Svengali · swaying · monotony · entrancement
- science experimentsvolcano model, elephant toothpaste, color change, slime making, baking soda volcano
- classical physicsNewton, Newton's laws, Newtonian physics, laws of motion, force
- physics simulationfluid dynamics, rigid body, collision detection, ragdoll physics, momentum
- Ghost Huntingghost hunting, haunting, apparition, EVP, spirit box
- grandfather clocksgrandfather clock, grandmother clock, weights, chime, clock face
- Hypnotismhypnosis, hypnotism, hypnotist, mesmerism, mesmerist
pendulumfixed point
Value unchanged by function
anchor · gyroscope · projectile · rotor · fulcrum
pendulumconstant
Fixed, unvarying quantity
steady state · equilibrium · stasis · stability · fixed position
- pendulum clockClock using oscillating weight
- pendulum swingWeighted pivot's periodic motion
- Foucault pendulumDevice demonstrating Earth's rotation
- pendulum rideOscillating fairground attraction
- clock pendulumOscillating timekeeping weight