Pendulum

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpÉ›ndÍ¡Ê’É™lÉ™m/

Origin

Neuter of Latin pendulus, "hanging".

Full definition of pendulum

Noun

1. 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.

Usage notes

The plural form pendula is significantly rarer than pendulums; see etymology at pendula for details. However, pendula is occasionally used in physics.

Related terms

• Foucault’s pendulum
• pendant