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“oscillate”
oscillate (verb), oscillates; oscillated; oscillating
1. To swing backwards and forwards; to move to and fro between two points; to vibrate: When the strings of a violin are played with a bow, they oscillate and produce tones!
2. To alternate between two states, opinions, principles, purposes, etc.; to vary or fluctuate alternately between two limits: Brain activity oscillates at different frequencies depending on what people are doing, how high their stress levels are, and other factors; such as, the amount of sleep, nourishment, and stimulation people have.
3. To be indecisive in purpose or opinion; to vacillate: Yesterday, Hank seemed certain about buying a new pair of shoes, but today he is oscillating because he's not sure whether he should wait until next week or not.
4. Etymology: from Latin oscillat-, "swung, from the verb oscillare.
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2. To alternate between two states, opinions, principles, purposes, etc.; to vary or fluctuate alternately between two limits: Brain activity oscillates at different frequencies depending on what people are doing, how high their stress levels are, and other factors; such as, the amount of sleep, nourishment, and stimulation people have.
3. To be indecisive in purpose or opinion; to vacillate: Yesterday, Hank seemed certain about buying a new pair of shoes, but today he is oscillating because he's not sure whether he should wait until next week or not.
4. Etymology: from Latin oscillat-, "swung, from the verb oscillare.
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This entry is located in the following unit:
oscillo-, oscill-
(page 1)
oscillate, osculate, vacillate
oscillate (AHS uh layt") (verb)
1. To move like a pendulum that goes back and forth: The fan on the table was set to oscillate in order to keep the air fresh.
2. To vary in feelings, opinions, or actions from one extreme to the other: When Mildred heard the news of the accident, her reactions seemed to oscillate between hope and despair.
3. To move from above to below a mean value: The stock market seemed to oscillate around the 2500 mark.
2. To vary in feelings, opinions, or actions from one extreme to the other: When Mildred heard the news of the accident, her reactions seemed to oscillate between hope and despair.
3. To move from above to below a mean value: The stock market seemed to oscillate around the 2500 mark.
osculate (AHS kyuh layt") (verb)
To use one’s mouth to bestow a kiss: At the end of the wedding ceremony, the couple decided to osculate in front of all their friends.
vacillate (VAS uh layt") (verb)
To fluctuate, to waver, or to hesitate: After the breakup with her boyfriend, Lucinda seemed to vacillate between being very angry and very sad.
Sometimes Mike thinks his kid sister is like a pendulum because she tends to oscillate back and forth in her opinions; for example, Lenora and her husband promised to osculate at the end of their wedding ceremony; then she started to vacillate, thinking to osculate before so many people would be embarrassing.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group O; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 2)
(Latin: to quiver, to oscillate, to shake, to move; motion)