Oscillate /(ŏs"sĭl*lāt)/

Os·cil·late

Oscillate

v. i.

imp. & p. p. Oscillated; p. pr. & vb. n. Oscillating

  1. To move backward and forward; to vibrate like a pendulum; to swing; to sway.
  2. To vary or fluctuate between fixed limits; to act or move in a fickle or fluctuating manner; to change repeatedly, back and forth.
    The amount of superior families oscillates rather than changes, that is, it fluctuates within fixed limits.