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centripetal

 - 6 dictionary results

cen⋅trip⋅e⋅tal

  [sen-trip-i-tl]
Use centripetal in a Sentence
–adjective
1. directed toward the center (opposed to centrifugal ).
2. operating by centripetal force.
3. Physiology. afferent.
Origin:
1700–10; < NL centripet(us) center-seeking (centri- centri- + -petus, deriv. of L petere to seek) + -al 1

Related forms:
cen⋅trip⋅e⋅tal⋅ism, noun
cen⋅trip⋅e⋅tal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To centripetal
cen·trip·e·tal   (sěn-trĭp'ĭ-tl)   
adj.  

  1. Moving or directed toward a center or axis.

  2. Operated by means of centripetal force.

  3. Physiology Transmitting nerve impulses toward the central nervous system; afferent.

  4. Botany Developing or progressing inward toward the center or axis, as in the head of a sunflower, in which the oldest flowers are near the edge and the youngest flowers are in the center.

  5. Tending or directed toward centralization: the centripetal effects of a homogeneous population.

cen·trip'e·tal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

centripetal 
1709, from Mod.L., coined 1687 by Sir Isaac Newton from L. centri- alternate comb. form of centrum "center" (see center) + petere "to fall, rush out" (see petition).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cen·trip·e·tal
Pronunciation: sen-'trip-&t-&l
Function: adjective
: passing inward (as from a sense organto the brain or spinal cord) : AFFERENT —cen·trip·e·tal·ly /-&l-E/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

centripetal cen·trip·e·tal (sěn-trĭp'ĭ-tl)
adj.

  1. Moving or directed toward a center or axis.

  2. Transmitting nerve impulses toward the central nervous system; afferent.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
centripetal   (sěn-trĭp'ĭ-tl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Moving or directed toward a center or axis, particularly one around which an object is spinning.

  2. Transmitting nerve impulses toward the brain or spinal cord; afferent.

  3. Developing or progressing inward toward a center or axis, as in the growth of plant structures. For example, in the disk of the inflorescence of a sunflower, the florets near the edge open first, and the ones in the center last. Compare centrifugal.


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