gun pendulum
- noun
- Archaic
:
péndulo balístico
- Scientists used a gun pendulum to accurately calculate the speed of the bullet fired.
Examples
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After firing, the recoil motion of the gun pendulum was carefully measured to determine velocity.
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The gun pendulum was instrumental in 19th-century experiments on firearm ballistics.
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The gun pendulum is essential for accurate projectile velocity measurement.
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Researchers use a gun pendulum to analyze bullet performance.
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Scientists used a gun pendulum to accurately calculate the speed of the bullet fired.
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After firing, the recoil motion of the gun pendulum was carefully measured to determine velocity.
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The gun pendulum was instrumental in 19th-century experiments on firearm ballistics.
Synonyms
A heavy object hanging from a rod that measures a bullet's speed when hit
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning (a suspended gun behaving like a pendulum) is directly and compositionally built from 'gun' + 'pendulum'; a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a gun used as a swinging/measuring device. This noun–noun compounding follows transparent descriptive patterns, so a B1 learner would grasp the general concept even if they lack technical knowledge about ballistic measurement.
Etymology
Gun pendulum comes from a real device where a gun is hung like a pendulum and, when it fires, the gun swings back so people can measure that movement. Measuring the swing shows the 'speed of the bullet', so the name describes exactly how the device worked.
