SEESAW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does seesaw mean? 

• SEESAW (noun)
  The noun SEESAW has 1 sense:

1. a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end

  Familiarity information: SEESAW used as a noun is very rare.

• SEESAW (verb)
  The verb SEESAW has 3 senses:

1. ride on a plank

2. move up and down as if on a seesaw

3. move unsteadily, with a rocking motion

  Familiarity information: SEESAW used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SEESAW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

dandle board; seesaw; teeter; teeter-totter; teeterboard; teetertotter; tilting board

Hypernyms ("seesaw" is a kind of...):

plaything; toy (an artifact designed to be played with)

Holonyms ("seesaw" is a part of...):

playground (yard consisting of an outdoor area for children's play)

Derivation:

seesaw (move unsteadily, with a rocking motion)

seesaw (move up and down as if on a seesaw)

seesaw (ride on a plank)

• SEESAW (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they seesaw    ... he / she / it seesaws   
Past simple: seesawed   
Past participle: seesawed   
-ing form: seesawing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Ride on a plank

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

seesaw; teeter-totter; teetertotter

Hypernyms (to "seesaw" is one way to...):

play (participate in games or sport)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

seesaw (a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move up and down as if on a seesaw

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "seesaw" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

seesaw (a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Move unsteadily, with a rocking motion

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

seesaw; teeter; totter

Hypernyms (to "seesaw" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

seesaw (a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end)

 Context examples 

That is, these are signs that stand opposite each other in the sky and on the horoscope wheel, and like a seesaw, they move together.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Further, the new findings show how ocean currents were largely responsible for redistributing the heat between the Northern and Southern hemispheres in a process called the bipolar seesaw.

(Antarctic ice core reveals how sudden climate changes in North Atlantic moved south, NSF)