weathervanes
Rooftop direction arrows
Weathervanes are devices mounted on rooftops or poles that rotate to show wind direction.
Typically featuring a pointer or decorative figure—a rooster is traditional—they pivot on a vertical axis so the arrow or figure faces into the wind.
Figuratively, a weathervane is someone whose opinions shift with prevailing sentiment: Politicians are weathervanes, turning whichever way the wind blows.
Male domestic fowl
- cockerelMale chicken, not mature
- ornamentalFor beauty, not function
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
finial · barn · farmhouse · steeple · church · patina · verdigris · wrought iron
Where air moves from
- rooftopBuilding's top exterior surface
- spinningRevolving around an axis
- arrowPointed shaft for shooting
- pointerReference to memory location
compass · cardinal points · meteorology · mounting · cupola · pivot · bearing · swivel
Sign revealing status
- barometerInstrument gauging atmospheric pressure
- bellwetherTrend-setting leader
- gaugeStandard of measurement
- signalMessage-conveying cue
fickle · changeable · shifting · unpredictable · politician · public opinion · sentiment · trend
rooster
Male domestic fowl
- cockerelMale chicken, not mature
- ornamentalFor beauty, not function
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
silhouette · finial · barn · farmhouse · steeple · church · patina · verdigris · wrought iron · folk art
wind direction
Where air moves from
- rooftopBuilding's top exterior surface
- spinningRevolving around an axis
- arrowPointed shaft for shooting
pointer · compass · cardinal points · meteorology · mounting · cupola · pivot · bearing · swivel · orientation
indicator
Sign revealing status
- barometerInstrument gauging atmospheric pressure
- bellwetherTrend-setting leader
- gaugeStandard of measurement
signal · fickle · changeable · shifting · unpredictable · politician · public opinion · sentiment · trend · fluctuation
- Colonial Antiquespewter, spinning wheels, butter churns, candle molds, Windsor chairs
- Outsider Artnaive art, primitive art, self-taught artists, emotional honesty, religious visions
- Early American Artportraits, portraiture, samplers, folk art, Paul Revere
- English Countrysidecottages, village green, village fete, farmhouses, country pub
- Rural sceneryrolling hills, meadows, pastures, farmhouses, barns
- rusticbarns, cabins, farmhouses, log cabins, hay bales
- rooster weathervaneRotating metal barnyard ornament