Bellwether

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛlˌwɛðər/

Definitions of bellwether

noun a sheep with a bell around its neck that leads the flock

Example Sentences

A1 The sheep with the bell around its neck is the bellwether of the flock.

A2 In some cultures, the oldest member of the family is considered the bellwether.

B1 The company's stock price is often seen as a bellwether for the overall economy.

B2 The city's annual festival has become a bellwether for the success of local businesses.

C1 The scientist's groundbreaking research was seen as a bellwether for future advancements in the field.

C2 The political party's choice of candidate served as a bellwether for their future direction and policies.

Examples of bellwether in a Sentence

formal The bellwether stock is often used as an indicator of the overall market's performance.

informal She's like the bellwether of our friend group, always knowing the latest trends before anyone else.

slang That new restaurant is the bellwether of cool places to hang out in town.

figurative The CEO's decision to invest in renewable energy was seen as a bellwether for the industry's future direction.

Grammatical Forms of bellwether

• past tense: bellwethered
• plural: bellwethers
• comparative: more bellwether
• superlative: most bellwether
• present tense: bellwethers
• future tense: will bellwether
• perfect tense: have bellwethered
• continuous tense: is bellwethering
• singular: bellwether
• positive degree: bellwether
• infinitive: to bellwether
• gerund: bellwethering
• participle: bellwethered

Origin and Evolution of bellwether

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'bellwether' originated from the Middle English term 'bellewether' which was a combination of 'belle' meaning bell and 'wether' meaning a castrated ram or sheep. The term referred to a wether (ram) that led a flock of sheep by wearing a bell around its neck.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'bellwether' evolved from its literal meaning of a leading sheep with a bell to a metaphorical term used to describe a person or thing that leads or indicates trends or movements in a particular field or group.