nutation
[ noo-tey-shuhn, nyoo- ]
/ nuˈteɪ ʃən, nyu- /
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noun
an act or instance of nodding one's head, especially involuntarily or spasmodically.
Botany. spontaneous movements of plant parts during growth.
Astronomy. the periodic oscillation observed in the precession of the earth's axis and the precession of the equinoxes.
Mechanics. the variation of the inclination of the axis of a gyroscope to the vertical.
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Origin of nutation
OTHER WORDS FROM nutation
nu·ta·tion·al, adjectiveWords nearby nutation
nu soul, Nüsslein-Volhard, nut, nutant, nutate, nutation, nutbrown, nutcase, nutcracker, Nutcracker Suite, nut dash
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for nutation
British Dictionary definitions for nutation
nutation
/ (njuːˈteɪʃən) /
noun
astronomy a periodic variation in the precession of the earth's axis causing the earth's poles to oscillate about their mean position
physics a periodic variation in the uniform precession of the axis of any spinning body, such as a gyroscope, about the horizontal
Also called: circumnutation the spiral growth of a shoot, tendril, or similar plant organ, caused by variation in the growth rate in different parts
the act or an instance of nodding the head
Derived forms of nutation
nutational, adjectiveWord Origin for nutation
C17: from Latin nutātiō, from nūtāre to nod
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for nutation
nutation
[ nōō-tā′shən ]
n.
The act of nodding the head, especially involuntarily.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for nutation
nutation
[ nōō-tā′shən ]
A small, cyclic variation of the Earth's axis of rotation with a period of 18.6 years, caused by tidal forces (mostly due to the gravity of the Moon). Nutation is a small and relatively rapid oscillation of the axis superimposed on the larger and much slower oscillation known as precession. Although discovered in 1728 by the British astronomer James Bradley (1693-1762), nutation was not explained until two decades later.
A slight curving or circular movement in a stem, as of a twining plant, caused by irregular growth rates of different parts.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.