pendant

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noun pen·dant \ˈpen-dənt; senses 3 & 4 are also ˈpe-nənt, sense 5 is also päⁿ-ˈdäⁿ\

variants: or less commonly

pendent

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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.

See pendant defined for English-language learners

See pendant defined for kids

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

Pay homage to your town or city with hangable felt pendants promoting Venice or Los Alamos or the City of Angels.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Larger lamps sit on the floor, smaller ones rest on tables, and all sorts of shapes and sizes are suspended from the ceiling as hanging pendants.

— nina friend, Bon Appetit, "These Gorgeous Lamps Are Made Out of Edible Mushrooms," 6 July 2017
Mercury glass pendant lights create a cracked texture with browns and golds, which twinkle and reflect light around the kitchen.

— madeleine winer, The Courier-Journal, "Nautical flair is all in the details at Fern Creek home," 29 June 2017
According to a complaint, Low bought her a 11.72-carat diamond pendant, designed by Lorraine Schwartz, for Valentine’s Day.

— megan friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Miranda Kerr Returns $8 Million Worth of Jewelry as Part of a Federal Investigation," 27 June 2017
Kerr has returned Low’s gifts, including an 11.72-carat diamond pendant, to the Department of Justice.

— megan friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Miranda Kerr Returns $8 Million Worth of Jewelry as Part of a Federal Investigation," 27 June 2017
Combining crystals, silver, and other natural design elements like shells and wood, the pendants and necklaces take on the shape of creatures like monkeys, koalas, fishes, and more.

— diana tsui, The Cut, "Prada’s New Jewelry Collection Was Inspired by Ancient Talismans," 27 June 2017
Regardless of the song, Mr. Morales, who is 65 and moved to New York from Puerto Rico as a teenager, often broke from conversation with family and friends to dance a few steps, a gold Sphinx pendant swinging on his chest.

— tejal rao, New York Times, "Grab Your Picnic Baskets: The Party’s Moving Outside," 26 June 2017
Those charter members will be recognized during St. Luke's feast day in October and given a pendant depicting the rose window in the Abbey Church in silver and stained glass.

— sarah bonnette, NOLA.com, "Former chicken coop makes for artists' haven at the Abbey," 26 June 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Jewelry Terms

bijou, brilliant, chase, facet, lapidary, paste

PENDANT Defined for English Language Learners

pendant

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noun

Definition of pendant for English Language Learners

: a piece of jewelry that hangs on a chain or a cord which is worn around your neck

PENDANT Defined for Kids

pendant

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noun pen·dant \ˈpen-dənt\

Definition 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.