noun

seesaw

SEE-saw

noun

A playground plank balanced in the middle so that a person on one end goes up as the person on the other goes down.

"The kids took turns on the seesaw in the park."

"She sat on one end of the seesaw, waiting for her brother to climb on the other."

A pattern of repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down swings, especially in feelings, opinions, or results.

"The match was a seesaw of momentum, swinging between both teams."

"His moods were a constant seesaw of highs and lows."

verb

To swing repeatedly back and forth between two states or positions.

"Public opinion seesawed between support and outrage all week."

"The stock price seesawed wildly during the announcement."

How to Use Seesaw

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the playground plank toy, or any pattern that keeps swinging back and forth instead of settling.

Common pairings

seesaw between a seesaw battle ride the seesaw

Word Forms

more seesaw comparative, seesawed past tense, seesaws plural, seesaws singular, most seesaw superlative

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The kids took turns on the _____ in the park.

Etymology

Likely an imitative, repeated word mimicking rhythmic back-and-forth motion, in the same family as "teeter-totter" and "zigzag"; possibly also influenced by the verbs "see" and "saw."