convergence
[kuh n-vur-juh ns]
- an act or instance of converging.
- a convergent state or quality.
- the degree or point at which lines, objects, etc., converge.
- Ophthalmology. a coordinated turning of the eyes to bear upon a near point.
- Physics.
- the contraction of a vector field.
- a measure of this.
- Meteorology. a net flow of air into a given region.Compare divergence(def 2).
- Biology. similarity of form or structure caused by environment rather than heredity.
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Also con·ver·gen·cy (for defs 1–3).
Origin of convergence
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for convergence
Contemporary Examples
The convergence of these signs lit Morris up like a firecracker.
Republican political operatives say the gains the GOP is set to make are due to a convergence of causes.
But regardless of their different lenses, she said, “there seems to be a convergence of interests” between the two sides.
However frightful Nader found it, the concept intrigued him that “convergence” could be found among disparate groups.
Convergence is also gathering force in a shared revulsion for the consequences of the war on drugs.
Historical Examples
Before him stretched the plateau leading to the convergence of the river and the cliff.
The Night RidersRidgwell Cullum
In all this convergence of the militia toward Boston, there was one side current.
The Siege of BostonAllen French
Wherever there is division of labor, there is association and also convergence of effort.
Creative EvolutionHenri Bergson
At the point of convergence there seemed to be a narrow passage.
LegacyJames H Schmitz
We have hitherto dealt with the road of the Egyptians; we now describe that of the Mesopotamians, up to the point of convergence.
History Of Egypt, Chalda, Syria, Babylonia, And Assyria In The Light Of Recent DiscoveryL.W. King and H.R. Hall
convergence
- Also called: convergency the act, degree, or a point of converging
- concurrence of opinions, results, etc
- maths the property or manner of approaching a finite limit, esp of an infinite seriesconditional convergence
- the combining of different forms of electronic technology, such as data processing and word processing converging into information processing
- Also called: convergent evolution the evolutionary development of a superficial resemblance between unrelated animals that occupy a similar environment, as in the evolution of wings in birds and bats
- meteorol an accumulation of air in a region that has a greater inflow than outflow of air, often giving rise to vertical air currentsSee also Intertropical Convergence Zone
- the turning of the eyes inwards in order to fixate an object nearer than that previously being fixatedCompare divergence (def. 6)
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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 convergence
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
convergence
(kən-vûr′jəns)- The process of coming together or the state of having come together toward a common point.
- Such a gathering at a single preganglionic motor neuron of several postganglionic motor neurons.
- The coordinated turning of the eyes inward to focus on an object at close range.
- The adaptive evolution of superficially similar structures, such as the wings of birds and insects, in unrelated species subjected to similar environments.convergent evolution
- The movement of cells from the periphery of the embryo toward the midline during gastrulation.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
convergence
[kən-vûr′jəns]
- Mathematics The property or manner of approaching a limit, such as a point, line, or value.
- Biology The evolution of superficially similar structures in unrelated species as they adapt to similar environments. Examples of convergence are the development of fins independently in both fish and whales and of wings in insects, birds, and bats. Also called convergent evolution Compare divergence.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.