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.
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.
Meanings
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.
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. 1810, Jack and Jill, and old Dame Gill, York: J. Kendrew, page 8:
(figuratively) A series of up-and-down movements.
(figuratively) 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. a. 1857, William Hamilton, edited by H[enry] L[ongueville] Mansel and John Veitch, Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1859–1860, →OCLC:
Manchester Citykept up their unbeaten start to the Premier League season with victory over QPR in an entertaining see-saw encounter at Loftus Road. 2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2 - 3 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
(attributive) 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.
nl wipwap (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · es balanceo (movement) · el τραμπάλα (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · tg арғунчак (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · pl huśtawka wagowa (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · mk клацкање (movement) · sq cilivi (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · az yelləncək (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · pt gangorra (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · sv gungbräda (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · cy sigldyhoedan (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · az basqıncaq (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ms jongkang-jongket (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · cy si-so (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · eo baskulo (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ru каче́ли (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · pt sobe-e-desce (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · fi keinulauta (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · es balancín (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ko 널 (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ga cranndaí bogadaí (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · fo danda (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · bg кърбалка (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · de Wippe (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · cs houpačka (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · fr balançoire à bascule (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · gd làir-mhaide (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · tl tiwasan (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · th กระดานหก (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · yue 搖搖板 /摇摇板 (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · bg карбалка (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · gl bambán (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · vi bập bênh (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ga maide corrach (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · hu mérleghinta (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · he נַדְנֵדָה (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ka აიწონა-დაიწონა (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · fr balançoire (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · mi tiemi (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ko 널뛰기 (movement) · mk клацкалка (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · sh klackalica (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · fr tapecul (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · bg друсане (movement) · cs houpání (movement) · ko 시소 (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · pt balancé (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · is vegasalt (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · cmn 蹺蹺板 /跷跷板 (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · hu libikóka (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · nl wip (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · mt ċaqlembuta (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · roa-gal brancidjeule (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ca palanca (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · de (Allgäu) Gigampfi (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · no dumphuske (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · es subibaja (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ja シーソー (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · et kiik (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · it altalena (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · fi keinuminen (movement) · tr tahterevalli (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · pl huśtawka (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · gd iobalag obalag (movement) · bg лю́лка (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · la oscillum (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · da vippe (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle) · ast cañiqueta (structure moving up and down, balanced in the middle)
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.
Meanings
(intransitive) 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. 1810, Jack and Jill, and old Dame Gill, York: J. Kendrew, page 9:
(broadly, figuratively, intransitive) To fluctuate.
When I think of your kisses / My mind see-saws 1971, “All I Want”, in Blue, performed by Joni Mitchell:
(figuratively, transitive) To cause to move backward and forward in a seesaw fashion.
He see-saws himself to and fro. 1832, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Eugene Aram:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
seesawed
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
seesawed
Tense=Past
lexicographic
seesawing
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
seesaws
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
see-saw
alternative
lexicographic
Translations (25)
nl wippen (to use a seesaw) · az tərəddüd etmək (to fluctuate) · bg люлея се (to use a seesaw) · ko 널뛰다 (to use a seesaw) · ka აიწონა-დაიწონას თამაში (to use a seesaw) · et kiikuma (to use a seesaw) · hu libikókázik (to use a seesaw) · is vega salt (to use a seesaw) · hu mérleghintázik (to use a seesaw) · ru колебаться (to fluctuate) · nl wipwappen (to use a seesaw) · no dumpe (to use a seesaw) · ru кача́ться на доске́ (to use a seesaw) · mk се клацка (to use a seesaw) · ko 널뛰다 (to fluctuate) · mi tiemi (to use a seesaw) · eo baskulumi (to use a seesaw) · fi keinua (to fluctuate) · de wippen (to use a seesaw) · bg флуктуирам (to fluctuate) · no svinge (to fluctuate) · bg колебая се (to fluctuate) · cmn 玩蹺蹺板 /玩跷跷板 (to use a seesaw) · fi keinua (to use a seesaw) · mi pīonioni (to fluctuate)