pendant

pendant — noun

1. a small decorative piece worn on a neck chain, or the part that dangles from the

1.nounB2
Definition

a small decorative piece worn on a neck chain, or the part that dangles from the chain itself.

Example

Maya wore a silver pendant shaped like a moon at dinner tonight.

wear a pendant; material + shape

A tiny jade pendant swung against Leo's shirt as he ran downstairs.

Common collocations
  • silver pendant
  • heart pendant
  • wear a pendant
  • pendant on a chain
Synonyms
  • locket

    a special kind of pendant that opens, often to hold a photo.

  • charm

    usually smaller and often linked to luck or personal meaning.

  • medallion

    typically larger, flatter, and more like a coin-shaped ornament.

Grammar Patterns

wear a pendant

pendant on a chain

Usage Note

Often used for the hanging piece itself, but some speakers also use it for the whole necklace. If you need to be precise, name the chain or necklace separately.

Common Mistakes

She wore a pendant on her wrist.
She wore a bracelet on her wrist.
a pendant normally hangs from the neck or sometimes an earring, not from the wrist.

2. a light fitting attached to the ceiling by a cord, chain, or rod so that it hang

2.nounB2
Definition

a light fitting attached to the ceiling by a cord, chain, or rod so that it hangs down into the room.

Example

A black pendant hung above the kitchen table in the new flat.

room object hanging from the ceiling

The cafe replaced its old bulbs with three copper pendant lights.

collocation: pendant light

Common collocations
  • pendant light
  • glass pendant
  • pendant above the table
  • kitchen pendants
Synonyms
  • pendant light

    the full everyday term; clearer than 'pendant' on its own.

  • hanging lamp

    broader; can include many suspended lights, not just this design term.

  • chandelier

    usually larger and more decorative, often with several arms or bulbs.

Grammar Patterns

pendant light

pendant over + table / bar

Usage Note

Common in home and shop design, often in the compound 'pendant light'. Unlike sense 1, this pendant is part of a room, not something you wear.

Common Mistakes

We put the pendant on the bedside table.
We put the table lamp on the bedside table.
this sense names a light that hangs from the ceiling, so it does not stand on furniture.

pendant — adjective

Word family

  • pendent
    adjectiveC2
  • pendulous
    adjectiveC2
  • pendulum
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pendant, locket, charm, and medallion can all refer to small ornaments, but each word points to a different type. A pendant is the broad everyday term for almost any decorative piece hanging from a chain. A locket is a pendant that opens, often to hold a photo or another tiny keepsake. A charm is usually smaller and often has a lucky, personal, or symbolic meaning; it may hang from a bracelet as well as a necklace. A medallion is normally flatter and larger, more like a coin or badge. So you can say 'a silver pendant with a blue stone', but if it opens and holds a picture, 'locket' is the better choice.

pendant ↗locketcharm ↗medallion ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Pendant came into English from French, where pendant is the form of pendre meaning 'hanging'. That French verb goes back to Latin pendere, 'to hang'. The adjective sense keeps that literal idea of something hanging down. The noun sense then developed naturally for a hanging ornament, and later for a ceiling light that hangs into a room.