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declination

 - 4 dictionary results

dec⋅li⋅na⋅tion

[dek-luh-ney-shuhn]
–noun
1. a bending, sloping, or moving downward.
2. deterioration; decline.
3. a swerving or deviating, as from a standard.
4. a polite refusal.
5. Astronomy. the angular distance of a heavenly body from the celestial equator, measured on the great circle passing through the celestial pole and the body.
6. variation (def. 8).
7. the formal refusal by a nominee of a nomination to public office.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME declinacioun < OF declinacion < L dēclīnātiōn- (s. of dēclīnātiō), equiv. to dēclīnāt(us), lit., turned aside (ptp. of dēclīnāre; see decline, -ate 1 ) + -iōn- -ion


dec⋅li⋅na⋅tion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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dec·li·na·tion   (děk'lə-nā'shən)   
n.  
  1. A sloping or bending downward.

  2. A falling off, especially from prosperity or vigor; a decline.

  3. A deviation, as from a specific direction or standard.

  4. A refusal to accept.

  5. Magnetic declination.

  6. Astronomy The angular distance to a point on a celestial object, measured north or south from the celestial equator.


[Middle English declinacioun, from Old French declination, from Latin dēclīnātiō, dēclīnātiōn-, from dēclīnātus, past participle of dēclīnāre, to turn away; see decline.]
dec'li·na'tion·al adj.
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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Medical Dictionary

declination dec·li·na·tion (děk'lə-nā'shən)
n.

  1. A bending, sloping, or other deviation from a normal vertical position.

  2. A deviation of the vertical meridian of the eye to one or the other side due to rotation of the eyeball about its anteroposterior axis.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

declination

in astronomy, the angular distance of a body north or south of the celestial equator. Declination and right ascension, an east-west coordinate, together define the position of an object in the sky. North declination is considered positive and south, negative. Thus, +90 declination marks the north celestial pole, 0 the celestial equator, and -90 the south celestial pole. The usual symbol for declination is the lowercase Greek letter delta (delta).

Learn more about declination with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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