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aberration

 [ab-uh-rey-shuhn]   Example Sentences Origin

ab·er·ra·tion

   [ab-uh-rey-shuhn]
noun
1.
the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course.
2.
the act of deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type.
3.
deviation from truth or moral rectitude.
4.
mental irregularity or disorder, especially of a minor or temporary nature; lapse from a sound mental state.
5.
Astronomy. apparent displacement of a heavenly body, owing to the motion of the earth in its orbit.
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6.
Optics. any disturbance of the rays of a pencil of light such that they can no longer be brought to a sharp focus or form a clear image.
7.
Photography. a defect in a camera lens or lens system, due to flaws in design, material, or construction, that can distort the image.
COLLAPSE
Origin:
1585–95; < Latin aberrātiōn- (stem of aberrātiō), equivalent to aberrāt(us), past participle of aberrāre (see aberrant) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms
ab·er·ra·tion·al, adjective

Synonyms
1. wandering; deviation, divergence. 4. abnormality, eccentricity, illusion, delusion, hallucination.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Aberration is always a great word to know.
So is absence. Does it mean:
not average, typical, or usual
state of being away or not being present
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Hopefully this season was an aberration, not the rule.
  • The first time something happens it's an aberration.
  • Madness can descend in just one second, an aberration from nowhere.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
aberration (ˌæbəˈreɪʃən)
 
—n
1.  deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual
2.  departure from truth, morality, etc
3.  a lapse in control of one's mental faculties
4.  optics spherical aberration See also chromatic aberration a defect in a lens or mirror that causes the formation of either a distorted image or one with coloured fringes
5.  astronomy the apparent displacement of a celestial body due to the finite speed of light and the motion of the observer with the earth

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

aberration
1590s, "a wandering, straying," from L. aberrationem (nom. aberratio) "a wandering," from pp. stem of aberrare "go astray," from ab- "away" + errare "to wander" (see err). Meaning "deviation from the normal type" first attested 1846.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

aberration ab·er·ra·tion (āb'ə-rā'shən)
n.

  1. A departure from the normal or typical.

  2. A psychological disorder or abnormal alteration in one's mental state.

  3. A defect of focus, such as blurring in an image.

  4. An imperfect image caused by a physical defect in an optical element, as in a lens.

  5. A deviation in the normal genetic structure or number of chromosomes in an organism.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
aberration   (āb'ə-rā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A deviation in the normal structure or number of chromosomes in an organism.

  2. A defect in a lens or mirror that prevents light rays from being focused at a single point and results in a distorted or blurred image. ◇ Aberration that results in distortion of color is called chromatic aberration. ◇ Aberration that is caused by imperfections in the surface or shape of a spherical mirror or lens is called spherical aberration. See also astigmatism, coma.2


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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