Pendent in general is an adjective that describes the condition of hanging, either figuratively or literally.[1] It is sometimes (mis)-spelt "pendant", but that form is best reserved for the noun.
In Botany and anatomy the term applies to hanging forms of organs such as leaves, branches, limbs and the like, organs that otherwise might be rigid or erect.
In various senses, such as legal matters, pendent can mean "pending"
In grammar a pendent sentence is incomplete in some formal sense, such as in lacking a finite verb.
Relating to the concave triangular segments composing the structure of a dome, something pendent may be viewed as any member of a support system (i.e.: a section of a dome; or, organically, a parent/guardian in a nuclear family).
A pendent component of a structure or system most often requires one or more of the same as itself to be functional. For example, one playing card requires another against it in order to stand vertically. This commonly leads to special requirements for scaffolding or similar expedients during construction.
Referring to something as dependent may mean that it is an object or unit which is not supportive itself, but requires pendents (combined as an independent) to support its position (e.g. a spire on a cathedral dome).