Forms: 5 belleweder, belwedyr, 5–7 -weather, 6– -weder, -wedder, -weadder, 6–8 bellweather, 5– belwether, 6– bellwether. [f. BELL sb.1 + WETHER.]
1. The leading sheep of a flock, on whose neck a bell is hung.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 30/1. Belwedyr, shepe, titurus.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 66. The bel veddir for blythtnes bleyttit rycht fast.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 296. To follow after their Belwether.
1718. Motteux, Quix. (1733), I. 237. He that steals a Bell-weather, shall be discover’d by the Bell.
1847. Lewes, Hist. Philos. (1867), II. 254. Men are for the most part like sheep, who always follow the bell-wether.
2. fig. A chief or leader. (Mostly contemptuous.)
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas (1554), 224 a. I was cleped in my countrey The belweather.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 40/2. Thomas being the ring-leader of the one sect, and Scotus the belweadder of the other.
1687. T. Brown, Saints in Uproar, Wks. 1730, I. 73. The principal bell-weathers of this mutiny.
1794. Southey, Wat Tyler, III. i. Wks. II. 50. You bell-wether of the mob.
1848. Lowell, Biglow P., i. ’Taint afollerin’ your bell-wethers Will excuse ye in His sight.
3. fig. a. A clamorous person, one ready to give mouth. b. (Used opprobriously.)
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 86. Go now, belleweder.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. v. 111. To be detected with a iealious rotten Bell-weather.
1620. Shelton, Quix., IV. xiii. 109. She made me weep, that am no Bell-weather.
1847. Halliwell, Bell-wedder, a fretful child. North.
Hence Bell-wethering, the fact of leading and being led ‘like sheep.’ Bell-wetherishness, tendency to follow one who takes the lead.
1882. Spectator, 25 March, 388. But for the bell-wethering, there could have been no crinoline at all. Ibid., 387. The gregariousness, and bell-wetherishness of the English people, who must all do the same thing at once.
