pendant

noun

pen·​dant ˈpen-dənt 

senses 3 & 4 are also

ˈpe-nənt 

sense 5 is also

päⁿ-ˈdäⁿ 

variants or less commonly pendent

1

: something suspended: such as

a

: an ornament (as on a necklace) allowed to hang free

A turquoise pendant hung on her necklace.

b

: an electrical fixture suspended from the ceiling

hung an incandescent light pendant from the ceiling over the reading area

2

: a hanging ornament of roofs or ceilings much used in the later styles of Gothic architecture

3

: a length of line usually used as a connector on a boat or ship

especially : a short rope hanging from a spar and having at its free end a block or spliced thimble (see thimble sense 2a)

4

chiefly British : pennant sense 1a

5

a

: companion piece

The portrait of his father is a pendant to the one of his mother.

b

: something secondary or supplementary

The illustration is an apt pendant to the poem.

Did you know?

Most pendants are purely decorative. But a pendant may also hold a picture or a lock of hair of a lover or a child. And, perhaps because they hang protectively in front of the body and near the heart, pendants have often had symbolic and magical purposes. Thus, a pendant may be a charm or amulet, or its gems or metals may be felt to have health-giving properties. In architecture, a pendant is an ornament that hangs down from a structure, but unlike a necklace pendant it's usually solid and inflexible.

Synonyms

• bangle
• charm
• lavaliere
• lavalliere

Examples of pendant in a Sentence

Navajo necklaces with pendants finely crafted in genuine sky-blue turquoise.

a pendant that once flew on Nelson's flagship

Recent Examples on the Web

Both the chain and pendants are crafted from hypoallergenic and nickel-free sterling silver that resists tarnishing and irritating your skin. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024

The Memento process takes about six weeks and begins with a client sending in an image that’s then formatted and mocked up for placement on a gold pendant, which is offered in both oval and circular shapes. —Jamie Sims Angela Koh Caitie Kelly Gage Daughdrill Shannon Adducci Ella Riley-Adams Caitie Kelly Angela Koh, New York Times, 2 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pendaunt, from Anglo-French pendant, from present participle of pendre to hang, from Vulgar Latin *pendere, from Latin pendēre; akin to Latin pendere to weigh, estimate, pay, pondus weight

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pendant

noun

pen·​dant

variants also pendent

ˈpen-dənt 

: something that hangs down especially as an ornament