a
weight that hangs from a
fixed point and swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices, especially clocks. The
word is used figuratively to mean "something that swings back and forth from one
course,
opinion or
condition to another." After the
fall of the
Roman Empire in 476 a.d., the pendulum
swung back to
supernatural treatments.
n. an
object suspended from a
fixed point so as to
swing freely back and forth. A simple pendulum consists of a
weight (such as a metal
ball) hanging at the end of a
wire or string. When the
weight is
pulled to one side and
released, gravity makes the
weight swing back and forth at a regular rate. Pendulums are used for various
mechanical and scientific
purposes, especially for the regulation of certain clocks where the
constant and regular back and forth
motion of the pendulum controls the internal workings, thus enabling the clocks to keep accurate
time. The
term pendulum can also be used figuratively to
refer to something which has or shows two extremes, as a
problem,
situation, argument, etc.