Moving back and forth regularly and repeatedly, like a pendulum, or going back and forth between two positions or ideas.
From Latin 'oscillare' meaning 'to swing,' derived from 'oscillum' meaning 'a swing.' The word entered scientific vocabulary to describe regular, repetitive motion in physics.
The Latin root 'oscillum' actually means 'swing'—so when pendulums oscillate or fans oscillate, they're literally 'swinging' in the most precise, physics-perfect sense! The word is so useful that physicators, engineers, and even psychologists use it to describe everything from electricity to indecision.
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