Main Entry:

pen·dant

Variant(s):

also pen·dent \ˈpen-dənt; 3 & 4 are also ˈpe-nənt, 5 is also päⁿ-ˈdäⁿ\

Function:

noun

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

Date:

14th century

1: something suspended: as a: an ornament (as on a necklace) allowed to hang free b: an electrical fixture suspended from the ceiling 2: a hanging ornament of roofs or ceilings much used in the later styles of Gothic architecture3: 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 thimble4chiefly British : pennant 1a5 a: companion piece b: something secondary or supplementary