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bellwether

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛlwɛðə/

The English word “bellwether” has 3 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck.
  2. Anything that indicates future trends.
  3. A stock whose price performance is treated as an indicator of the likely direction of a broader market, sector, or industry.

Etymology

From Middle English belwether, belleweder, equivalent to bell + wether (“castrated ram”).

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