Oscillate ***

oscillate







Dictionary.com



[Origin: 1720–30; < L oscillātus (ptp. of oscillāre to swing, ride on a swing), equiv. to oscill(um) a swing + -ātus -ATE¹ ] 





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vi. (不及物動詞 intransitive verb)



          1.    擺動

          2.    游移不定

          3.    【物】振盪



vt. (及物動詞 transitive verb)



          1.    使擺動

          2.    使動搖

          3.    【物】使振盪





The Columbia Guide to Standard American English



oscillate, osculate (vv.)   

 

Oscillate means literally "to swing back and forth"



and figuratively, therefore, "to vacillate, to be indecisive": Like a flower in the wind, he oscillated between [one view] and [another], unable to make up his mind. 



Osculate means "to kiss," "to touch." 



The "kiss" sense—a very pretentious word for a very simple physical action—is usually jocularly (打趣地) employed: His chief political skill was in osculating the infants of eligible voters. 





vacillate [vas-uh-leyt] between [a] and [b]

oscillate [os-uh-leyt] figuratively, to vacillate between [a] and [b]