seesaw
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
seesaw
- /ˈsiː.sɔː/ UK
- /ˈsi.sɔ/ US
- /ˈsiː.sɑː/ cot caught merger
Rhymes with -iːsɔ, -iːsɑ
Where it comes from
Probably a frequentative imitative of rhythmic back-and-forth, up-and-down or zigzagging motion, such as teeter-totter, zigzag, flip-flop, ping pong, etc., under the umbrella term of reduplication; also likely influenced by the verbs see and saw of either present or past tense.
noun seesaws · see-saw
-
A structure composed of a plank, balanced in the middle, used as a game in which one person goes up as the other goes down.
Similar: teeter-totter
- The game or pastime of seesawing. Now Jill did laugh And Jack did cry, But his tears did soon abate, Then Jill did say, That they should play, At sea-saw across the gate.
- A series of up-and-down movements.
- A series of alternating movements or feelings. He has been arguing in a circle; there is thus a see-saw between the hypothesis and the fact.
- An abnormal breathing pattern caused by airway obstruction, characterized by paradoxical chest and abdominal movement.
-
A tactic in which a piece repeatedly gains material, while simultaneously creating an inescapable series of alternating direct and discovered checks.
Similar: windmill, Zwickmühle
verb seesaws · seesawing · seesawed · see-saw
- To use a seesaw. They sea-saw'd high, They sea-saw'd low, At length they both did tumble, We both are down We both must own, Let neither of us grumble.
- To fluctuate. When I think of your kisses / My mind see-saws
- To cause to move backward and forward in a seesaw fashion. He see-saws himself to and fro.
adjective more seesaw · most seesaw · see-saw
- Fluctuating.
Translations
Every language
noun structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle
| Español | balancín, subibaja |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 널 neol, 시소 siso |
| 日本語 | シーソー shīsō |
| 中文 | 蹺蹺板 /跷跷板 qiāoqiāobǎn |
| Português | gangorra, balancé, sobe-e-desce |
| Français | balançoire, balançoire à bascule, tapecul |
| Deutsch | Wippe |
| Italiano | altalena |
| Ελληνικά | τραμπάλα trampála |
| Русский | каче́ли kačéli |
| Tiếng Việt | bập bênh |
| עברית | נַדְנֵדָה nadnedá |
verb to use a seesaw
| 한국어 | 널뛰다 neolttwida |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 玩蹺蹺板 /玩跷跷板 wán qiāoqiāobǎn |
| Deutsch | wippen |
| Русский | кача́ться на доске́ kačátʹsja na doské |
verb to fluctuate
| 한국어 | 널뛰다 neolttwida |
|---|---|
| Русский | колебаться kolebatʹsja |
Talk about this word "seesaw." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/seesaw. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. seesaw. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/seesaw "seesaw." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/seesaw.Cite this
@misc{seesaw_2026,
title = {seesaw},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/seesaw},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
