pendant

[pen-duh nt] /ˈpɛn dənt/
noun, Also, pendent
1.
a hanging ornament, as an earring or the main piece suspended from a necklace.
2.
an ornament suspended from a roof, vault, or ceiling.
3.
a hanging electrical lighting fixture; chandelier.
4.
that by which something is suspended, as the ringed stem of a watch.
5.
a match, parallel, companion, or counterpart.
6.
Also, pennant. Nautical. a length of rope attached to a masthead, the end of a yardarm, etc., and having a block or thimble secured to its free end.
adjective
7.
pendent.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English pendaunt < Anglo-French; Middle French pendant, noun use of present participle of pendre to hang < Vulgar Latin *pendere for Latin pendēre. See pend, -ant
Related forms
pendanted, adjective
pendantlike, adjective
nonpendant, adjective
unpendant, adjective
Can be confused
pendant, pendent, pennant, pundit.
Examples from the web for pendant
  • Mini versions of the crystal light pendant hung on either side of a corner-mounted vanity and mirror.
  • pendant can be worn with either side of the coin displayed.
  • Well the article described a pendant drop of fluid as the result of one experiment.
  • Choose from molecular earrings, a caffeine molecule necklace, or a circuit board pendant.
  • pendant lights illuminate the work surface of the kitchen island and provide a dash of warm color.
  • Pressing the button on the half-dollar-sized pendant sets off intercoms to alert hospital police.
  • The asymmetrical placement of the mantelpiece and pendant lights balances the equally offset wall.
  • Neither the necklace nor the pendant are mentioned in the catalogue.
  • He remembered especially seeing pelicans, with their preposterous, pendant throats.
  • The curvilinear shape of the pendant light echoes the sink's own subtle modulations.
British Dictionary definitions for pendant

pendant

/ˈpɛndənt/
noun
1.
  1. an ornament that hangs from a piece of jewellery
  2. a necklace with such an ornament
2.
a hanging light, esp a chandelier
3.
a carved ornament that is suspended from a ceiling or roof
4.
something that matches or complements something else
5.
(nautical) Also called pennant. a length of wire or rope secured at one end to a mast or spar and having a block or other fitting at the lower end
adjective
6.
a variant spelling of pendent
Word Origin
C14: from Old French, from pendre to hang, from Latin pendēre to hang down; related to Latin pendere to hang, pondus weight, Greek span to pull
Word Origin and History for pendant
n.

early 14c., "loose, hanging part of anything," from Anglo-French pendaunt "hanging" (c.1300), Old French pendant (13c.), noun use of present participle of pendre "to hang," from Latin pendere "to hang," from PIE root *(s)pen(d)- "to pull, draw, stretch" (see span (v.)). Meaning "dangling part of an earring" is attested from 1550s. Nautical sense of "tapering flag" is recorded from late 15c. "In this sense presumably a corruption of pennon" [OED].