oscillation
[ os-uh-ley-shuh n ]
/ ˌɒs əˈleɪ ʃən /
noun
an act or instance of oscillating.
a single swing or movement in one direction of an oscillating body.
fluctuation between beliefs, opinions, conditions, etc.
Physics.
- an effect expressible as a quantity that repeatedly and regularly fluctuates above and below some mean value, as the pressure of a sound wave or the voltage of an alternating current.
- a single fluctuation between maximum and minimum values in such an effect.
Mathematics.
- the difference between the least upper bound and the greatest lower bound of the functional values of a function in a given interval.
- Also called saltus. the limit of the oscillation in an interval containing a given point, as the length of the interval approaches zero.
Words nearby oscillation
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Examples from the Web for oscillation
British Dictionary definitions for oscillation
oscillation
/ (ˌɒsɪˈleɪʃən) /
noun
physics statistics
- regular fluctuation in value, position, or state about a mean value, such as the variation in an alternating current or the regular swinging of a pendulum
- a single cycle of such a fluctuation
the act or process of oscillating
Derived forms of oscillation
oscillatory (ˈɒsɪlətərɪ, -trɪ), adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for oscillation
oscillation
[ ŏs′ə-lā′shən ]
n.
The act of oscillating.
The state of being oscillated.
A single oscillatory cycle.
A stage in inflammation in which the accumulation of white blood cells in the small vessels arrests the passage of blood, thus causing a to-and-fro movement of the blood at each cardiac contraction.
Other words from oscillation
os′cil•la′tion•al adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for oscillation
oscillation
[ ŏs′ə-lā′shən ]
A repeating fluctuation in a physical object or quantity. See also attractor harmonic motion.
A single cycle of such fluctuation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.