Oscillates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Moves repeatedly from one position or state to another in a steady, rhythmic way
2. Shifts back and forth between two points or conditions in a consistent and balanced manner
3. Alternates smoothly and regularly between opposing positions or extremes

Etymology: This is an inflected form: the third-person singular present of "oscillate", so "oscillates" is what you write when the subject is "he", "she", "it" or a single thing that keeps swinging back and forth. The verb itself was first recorded in English in 1726 and was borrowed from the Latin "ōscillātus", the past participle of "ōscillō", meaning "to swing". That Latin verb rests on "ōscillum", a swing, which is usually linked to a different "ōscillum": a little face or mask hung in a tree so that it swayed in the wind. Its root is "ōs", meaning "mouth" or "face". So the word's deepest ancestor describes a carved face dangling in the breeze, and the sense of motion came first, before the idea of regular alternation.

Synonyms: sways, vibrates, fluctuates, wavers, swings

Antonyms: stabilizes, remains, steadies, holds, settles