Bellwether Definition
bĕlwĕ th ər
noun
One that serves as a leader or as a leading indicator of future trends.
American Heritage
A male sheep, usually wearing a bell, that leads the flock.
Webster's New World
A leader, esp. of a sheeplike crowd.
Webster's New World
Anything suggesting the general tendency or direction of events, style, etc.
Webster's New World
The leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Bellwether
Noun
Singular:
bellwether
Plural:
bellwethersOrigin of Bellwether
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Middle English bellewether wether with a bell hung from its neck, leader of the flock belle bell bell1 wether wether wether
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Middle English belwether, belleweder (“a sheep with a bell around its neck to lead a flock”), equivalent to bell + wether.
From Wiktionary
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