bellwether

English

/ˈbɛlwɛðə/, /ˈbɛlwɛðɚ/

noun
Definitions
  • The leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck.
  • Anything that indicates future trends.
  • A stock or bond that is widely believed to be an indicator of the overall market's condition.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English belwether compound from English bell + English wether.

Origin

English

wether

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms