pendant earring

3.7

A piece of jewellery that hangs from the ear with a small decoration

noun
/ˈpɛndənt ˈɪərɪŋ/

: pendiente colgante

At the party, I admired the golden pendant earrings that sparkled under the lights.

Examples

She wore elegant pendant earrings that swayed gently as she walked.
The artist created a stunning pair of pendant earrings featuring colorful gemstones.
Pancho felt shabby in her best pantsuit and no adornments except for a bracelet and pendant earrings of lunar aluminum.

Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

earring

vspendant earring

267 1.0

A small piece of jewelry worn on the ear and attached to the earlobe with a pin or clip

refers only to the hanging ornament style rather than all ear jewelry

drop earring

vspendant earring

1 3.2

An earring that hangs below the earlobe with a small decoration

focuses more on the ornament itself rather than the hanging position

eardrop

vspendant earring

1 7.5

An earring with a small piece that hangs down

refers to the same hanging style using a different common term

Antonyms

stud

Specialized

11 6.1

A small rounded metal piece fixed on belts or clothing

How Long

drop earring

1 3.2

pendant earring

3.7

stud

Specialized

11 6.1

Surface Forms

pendant earring singular

pendant earrings plural

Morphology

pendant + earring

The meaning is directly compositional: 'pendant' (a suspended decorative object) combined with 'earring' (jewelry worn on the ear) yields an earring that has a hanging ornament. This straightforward noun–noun combination follows common descriptive patterns (and parallels exist in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pendant earring comes from pendant, a small ornament that 'hangs', and earring, something worn on the ear. Picture a jewel or charm swinging below the ear, and that clear image explains why it means an earring with a 'hanging' or 'dangling' ornament.