seesaw
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see·saw
(sē′sô′)n.
1. A long plank balanced on a central fulcrum so that with a person riding on each end, one end goes up as the other goes down. Also called regionally dandle, dandle board, teedle board, teeter, teeterboard, teeter-totter, tilt1, tilting board.
2. The act or game of riding a seesaw.
3. A back-and-forth or up-and-down movement.
4. An action or process in which something repeatedly changes from one condition or situation to another: the seesaw in temperatures.
intr.v. see·sawed, see·saw·ing, see·saws
1. To play on a seesaw.
2. To move back and forth or up and down.
3. To change back and forth from one condition or situation to another: The lead seesawed for much of the tennis match.
[Reduplication of saw.]
Our Living Language The seesaw is known regionally by many names. In southeast New England it is called a tilt or a tilting board. Speakers in northeast Massachusetts call it a teedle board, and around Narragansett Bay it is often called a dandle or dandle board. Teeter or teeterboard is used more generally in the northeast United States, while teeter-totter, probably the most common term after seesaw, is used across the inland northern states and westward to the West Coast. Both seesaw (from the verb saw) and teeter-totter (from teeter, as in to teeter on the edge) demonstrate the linguistic process called reduplication, where a word or syllable is doubled, often with a different vowel. Reduplication is typical of words that indicate repeated activity, such as riding up and down on a seesaw.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
seesaw
(ˈsiːˌsɔː)n
1. (Games, other than specified) a plank balanced in the middle so that two people seated on the ends can ride up and down by pushing on the ground with their feet
2. (Games, other than specified) the pastime of riding up and down on a seesaw
3.
a. an up-and-down or back-and-forth movement
b. (as modifier): a seesaw movement.
vb
(intr) to move up and down or back and forth in such a manner; oscillate
[C17: reduplication of saw1, alluding to the movement from side to side, as in sawing]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
see•saw
(ˈsiˌsɔ)n.
1. a recreational device on which two children alternately ride up and down while seated at opposite ends of a long plank balanced at the middle.
2. any movement or procedure characterized by ups and downs or vacillation.
adj. 3. moving up and down, back and forth, or alternately ahead and behind.
v.i. 4. to move in a seesaw manner.
5. to ride on a seesaw.
6. to vacillate.
v.t. 7. to cause to move in a seesaw manner.
[1695–1705; gradational compound based on saw1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
seesaw
Past participle: seesawed
Gerund: seesawing
| Imperative |
|---|
| seesaw |
| seesaw |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
seesaw
teeter-totter
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  seesaw - a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either endplayground - yard consisting of an outdoor area for children's play |
| Verb | 1. | seesaw - ride on a plank play - participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" |
| 2. | seesaw - move up and down as if on a seesaw move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right" | |
| 3. |  seesaw - move unsteadily, with a rocking motionmove - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
seesaw
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Spanish / Español
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
seesaw
(ˈsiːsoː) noun a long flat piece of wood, metal etc, balanced on a central support so that one end of it goes up as the other goes down. The boy fell off the seesaw in the park.balancín
verb to move up and down like a seesaw. The boat seesawed on the crest of the wave.balancear
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
seesaw
→ balancín , columpioMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009