bellwether
Americannoun
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a wether or other male sheep that leads the flock, usually bearing a bell.
-
a person or thing that assumes the leadership or forefront, as of a profession or industry.
Paris is a bellwether of the fashion industry.
- Synonyms:
- trailblazer, front runner, pacesetter, leader
-
a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend; index.
-
a person who leads a mob, mutiny, conspiracy, or the like; ringleader.
noun
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a sheep that leads the herd, often bearing a bell
-
a leader, esp one followed unquestioningly
Etymology
Origin of bellwether
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; bell 1, wether
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
First Solar, an industry bellwether because of its size and status as the largest U.S. manufacturer, has been having demand problems, too.
From Barron's
First Solar, an industry bellwether because of its size and status as the largest U.S. manufacturer, has been having demand problems, too.
From Barron's
Not even another strong earnings report from industry bellwether Nvidia was enough to quell the market jitters.
That is particularly true for Nvidia, the industry’s bellwether, and a driver of the markets’ rebound from April’s tariff turmoil.
Considered a main bellwether for the AI phenomenon, the recurring question for Nvidia is whether the boom will continue to accelerate as the technology takes over more corners of the broader economy.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
