definitions

vibration

[ vahy-brey-shuh n ]
/ vaɪˈbreɪ ʃən /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vibration ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of vibrating.
the state of being vibrated.
Physics.
  1. the oscillating, reciprocating, or other periodic motion of a rigid or elastic body or medium forced from a position or state of equilibrium.
  2. the analogous motion of the particles of a mass of air or the like, whose state of equilibrium has been disturbed, as in transmitting sound.
an instance of vibratory motion; oscillation; quiver; tremor.
a supernatural emanation, bearing good or ill, that is sensed by or revealed to those attuned to the occult.
Often vibrations. Informal. a general emotional feeling one has from another person or a place, situation, etc.: I usually get good vibrations from him.

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RELATED WORDS

tremor, reverberation, oscillation, pulse, fluctuation, vacillation, beating, quiver, throb, wave, shimmy, wavering, quake, shake, resonance, pulsation, throbbing, trembling, judder

Nearby words

vibraphone, vibrate, vibratile, vibratility, vibrating line, vibration, vibration white finger, vibrational quantum number, vibrations, vibrative, vibrato

Origin of vibration

1645–55; 1965–70 for def 6; < Latin vibrātiōn- (stem of vibrātiō). See vibrate, -ion
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vibration

British Dictionary definitions for vibration

vibration

/ (vaɪˈbreɪʃən) /

noun

the act or an instance of vibrating
physics
  1. a periodic motion about an equilibrium position, such as the regular displacement of air in the propagation of sound
  2. a single cycle of such a motion
the process or state of vibrating or being vibrated
Derived Formsvibrational, adjectivevibrationless, 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 vibration

vibration

n.

1650s, from Latin vibrationem (nominative vibratio), from vibratus (see vibrate). Meaning "intuitive signal about a person or thing" was popular late 1960s, but has been recorded as far back as 1899.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for vibration

vibration

[ vī-brā′shən ]

A rapid oscillation of a particle, particles, or elastic solid or surface, back and forth across a central position.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.