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articulation

[ahr-tik-yuh-ley-shuh n]
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noun
  1. an act or the process of articulating: the articulation of a form; the articulation of a new thought.
  2. Phonetics.
    1. the act or process of articulating speech.
    2. the adjustments and movements of speech organs involved in pronouncing a particular sound, taken as a whole.
    3. any one of these adjustments and movements.
    4. any speech sound, especially a consonant.
  3. the act of jointing.
  4. a jointed state or formation; a joint.
  5. Botany.
    1. a joint or place between two parts where separation may take place spontaneously, as at the point of attachment of a leaf.
    2. a node in a stem, or the space between two nodes.
  6. Anatomy, Zoology. a joint, as the joining or juncture of bones or of the movable segments of an arthropod.
  7. Dentistry.
    1. the positioning of teeth in a denture, usually on an articulator, for correct occlusion.
    2. the bringing of opposing tooth surfaces into contact with each other.
    3. the relations of the upper and lower natural or artificial teeth in occlusion.
  8. a measure of the effectiveness of a telephonic transmission system in reproducing speech comprehensibly, expressed as the percentage of speech units uttered that is correctly understood.
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Origin of articulation

1400–50; late Middle English articulacio(u)n < Middle French < Latin articulātiōn-, stem of articulātiō. See articulate, -ion
Related formsar·tic·u·la·to·ry [ahr-tik-yuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ɑrˈtɪk yə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjectivear·tic·u·la·to·ri·ly, adverbmis·ar·tic·u·la·tion, nounre·ar·tic·u·la·tion, nounsub·ar·tic·u·la·tion, nounun·ar·tic·u·la·to·ry, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for articulation

articulation

noun
  1. the act or process of speaking or expressing in words
    1. the process of articulating a speech sound
    2. the sound so produced, esp a consonant
  3. the act or the state of being jointed together
  4. the form or manner in which something is jointed
  5. zoology
    1. a joint such as that between bones or arthropod segments
    2. the way in which jointed parts are connected
  6. botany the part of a plant at which natural separation occurs, such as the joint between leaf and stem
  7. a joint or jointing
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Derived Formsarticulatory, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for articulation

n.

early 15c., "a joint or joining; setting of bones," from Old French articulation, from Medieval Latin articulationem (nominative articulatio) "separation into joints," noun of action from past participle stem of articulare "to separate (meat) into joints," also "to utter distinctly," from articulus, diminutive of artus "joint" (see article).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
articulation in Medicine

articulation

(är-tĭk′yə-lā′shən)
n.
  1. The place of anatomical union, usually movable, between two or more bones.
  2. A joining or connecting together loosely so as to allow motion between the parts.
  3. Distinct connected speech or enunciation.
  4. The contact relationship of the occlusal surfaces of the teeth during jaw movement.
  5. Placement of artificial teeth on a denture base so that the teeth approximate normal position and contact.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
articulation in Science

articulation

[är-tĭk′yə-lā′shən]
  1. The arrangement of parts connected by joints.
  2. A fixed or movable joint between bones.
  3. A movable joint between inflexible parts of the body of an animal, as the divisions of an appendage in arthropods.
  4. A joint between two separable parts, as a leaf and a stem.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.