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Weathervane

Architecture
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A weathervane is a movable ornament that indicates wind direction from a roof or tower. It can symbolize change, sensitivity, or public display.

Detailed Definition
A weathervane turns with every shift in the wind, making invisible currents visible above a house, barn, or civic building. Poets may use it for a person attuned to changing moods, politics, or weather, though its responsiveness can also imply instability. Perched high above ordinary life, it becomes a small emblem of orientation: a figure continually asking where pressure comes from and how the world is turning.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The weathervane cock turned east before the storm,” using the roof ornament as a precise image of changing weather; A poet can make a weathervane symbolize an indecisive speaker who turns with every public opinion; “Rusty weathervane, point me home,” gives the object an apostrophic role as a guide; In a village poem, the weathervane above the church can mark the height from which wind surveys the community
Additional Notes
A weathervane turns freely on a high point, usually a roof ridge, cupola, or tower, so that its arrow or ornament shows the direction from which the wind blows. It is commonly shaped like a rooster, horse, ship, or arrow, combining usefulness with display. Poetically, it can represent responsiveness, fickleness, vigilance, social pressure, or someone publicly changing direction. Notice the distinction between the visible vane and the invisible wind that governs its movement.
Also Known As
Weather Vane Wind Vane
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