Definition of pendant
1 : something suspended: such asa : 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 2a)
4 chiefly British : pennant 1a
5a : 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.
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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 of pendant from the Web
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Marilyn sees the pendant as a wedding bell, and notes that her husband’s birthstone is, indeed, peridot.
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Police say a New Hampshire woman alerted authorities to a fire in her apartment building by pressing her medical alert pendant.
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The medallion can be worn as a pendant on a wristband or necklace, or kept in a pocket.
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Jonesing for a pendant featuring an Emperor nautilus?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pendant'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of pendant
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
PENDANT Defined for English Language Learners
pendant
playDefinition of pendant for English Language Learners
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: a piece of jewelry that hangs on a chain or a cord which is worn around your neck
PENDANT Defined for Kids
pendant
playDefinition of pendant for Students
: a piece of jewelry hanging on a chain or cord that is worn around the neck
Word Root of pendant
The Latin word pendere, meaning “to cause to hang down,” gives us the root pend. Words from the Latin pendere have something to do with hanging. To suspend is to cause something to hang down from a single point. To depend is to hang, or rely, on the support of others. A pendant is an ornament that hangs free, as on a necklace. A pendulum is an object hung from a point that swings freely back and forth, as in a clock.
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See words that rhyme with pendant Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pendant Spanish Central: Translation of pendant Nglish: Translation of pendant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pendant for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pendant
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