seesaw

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See also: see-saw

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
A seesaw.
Makeshift seesaws are used for acrobatics.

Alternative forms

Etymology

Probably a frequentative imitative of rhythmic back-and-forth, up-and-down or zigzagging motion, such as teeter-totter, zigzag, flip-flop, ping pong, etc., under the umbrella term of reduplication; also likely influenced by the verbs see and saw of either present or past tense.

Pronunciation

Noun

seesaw (plural seesaws)

  1. A structure composed of a plank, balanced in the middle, used as a game in which one person goes up as the other goes down.
    Synonym: teeter-totter
  2. A series of up-and-down movements.
  3. A series of alternating movements or feelings.
  4. (medicine, attributively) An abnormal breathing pattern caused by airway obstruction, characterized by paradoxical chest and abdominal movement.

Translations

Verb

seesaw (third-person singular simple present seesaws, present participle seesawing, simple past and past participle seesawed)

  1. (intransitive) To use a seesaw.
  2. (intransitive, by extension) To fluctuate.
    • 1971, “All I Want”, in Blue, performed by Joni Mitchell:
      When I think of your kisses / My mind see-saws
  3. (transitive) To cause to move backward and forward in seesaw fashion.

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Adjective

seesaw (comparative more seesaw, superlative most seesaw)

  1. fluctuating.

Anagrams

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