OXFORD 9000
📚 noun • entry_id 27788

bellwether

/ˈbɛlwɛðə/
Meanings (ES + gloss)
manso
The leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck.
Several old ladies forthwith proclaimed their intention of following him; but, as one or two of them were deaf, and another had been threatened with an attack of that mild, but obs…
barómetro
Anything that indicates future trends.
At Hampton Court the little flocks of visitors are not provided with an official bellwether, but are left to browse at discretion upon the local antiquities.
Mortgage delinquencies often act as a bellwether for a forthcoming recession.
barómetro
A stock or bond that is widely believed to be an indicator of the overall market's condition.
One of my favorite sentiment indicators is bellwether stocks — key stocks that are leaders in their fields. When investors buy or sell these shares, it's usually a good sign of con…