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Webster 1913 Edition

Oscillate

Os′cil-late

(ŏs′sĭl-lāt)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Oscillated
(ŏs′sĭl-lāˊtĕd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Oscillating
(ŏs′sĭl-lāˊtĭng)
.]
[L.
oscillare
to swing, fr.
oscillum
a swing, a little mask or puppet made to be hung from trees and swing in the wind, prob. orig., a little mouth, a dim. from
os
mouth. See
Oral
, and cf.
Osculate
.]
1.
To move backward and forward; to vibrate like a pendulum; to swing; to sway.
2.
To vary or fluctuate between fixed limits; to act or move in a fickle or fluctuating manner; to change repeatedly, back and forth.
The amount of superior families
oscillates
rather than changes, that is, it fluctuates within fixed limits.
De Quincey.

Webster 1828 Edition

Oscillate

OS'CILLATE

,
Verb.
I.
[L. oscillo, from ant. cillo, Gr. to move.]
To swing; to move backward and forward; to vibrate.

Definition 2024

oscillate

oscillate

English

Verb

oscillate ‎(third-person singular simple present oscillates, present participle oscillating, simple past and past participle oscillated)

  1. (intransitive) To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.
    A pendulum oscillates slower as it gets longer.
  2. (intransitive) To vacillate between conflicting opinions, etc.
    The mood for change oscillated from day to day.
  3. (intransitive) To vary above and below a mean value.

Derived terms

Synonyms

Translations

See also

Italian

Verb

oscillate

  1. second-person plural present indicative of oscillare
  2. second-person plural imperative of oscillare
  3. feminine plural of oscillato

Anagrams

Etymology

From Latin oscillatus perfect passive participle of Latin oscillō ‎(“swing”), from oscillum ‎(“a swing”), usually identified with oscillum ‎(“a little face or mask hung to a tree and swaying with the wind”), diminutive of os ‎(“mouth, face”).

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɑsɪleɪt/

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