more centripetal

adjective

directed toward the center ( opposed to centrifugal ).

Physiology, afferent.

Origin:
1700–10; < Neo-Latin centripet(us) center-seeking (centri- centri- + -petus, derivative of Latin petere to seek) + -al¹

Related forms

cen·trip·e·tal·ism, noun

cen·trip·e·tal·ly, adverb

un·cen·trip·e·tal, adjective

Can be confused: centrifugal, centripetal.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To more centripetal

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More centripetal is always a great word to know.

So is callithumpian. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

centripetal (sɛnˈtrɪpɪt^əl, ˈsɛntrɪˌpiːt^əl)

—*adj*
1.	Compare centrifugal acting, moving, or tending to move towards a centre
2.	of, concerned with, or operated by centripetal force
3.	botany (esp of certain inflorescences) developing from the outside towards the centre
4.	physiol another word for afferent

[C17: from New Latin centripetus seeking the centre; see centri-, -petal]

cen'tripetally

—*adv*

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

centripetal

1709, from Mod.L., coined 1687 by Sir Isaac Newton from L. centri- alternative comb. form of centrum "center" (see center) + petere "to fall, rush out" (see petition).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

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

Moving or directed toward a center or axis.
Transmitting nerve impulses toward the central nervous system; afferent.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

centripetal

(sěn-trĭp'ĭ-tl) Pronunciation Key

Moving or directed toward a center or axis, particularly one around which an object is spinning.
Transmitting nerve impulses toward the brain or spinal cord; afferent.
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.

Matching Quote

"Under equal conditions, the feminine psyche is closer to potential contraction than the masculine; for the simple reason that the woman has a more centripetal, integrated, and elastic mind. As we noted, the function charged with giving the mind its structure and cohesion is the attention. A highly unified mind presupposes a highly concentrated manner of attention. One could say that the feminine mind tends to have a single axis of attention, which at each phase of her life is set toward one thing alone.... In contrast to the concentric structure of the feminine mind there are always epicenters in that of the man. The more masculine one is, in a spiritual sense, the more his mind is disjointed in separate compartments. One part of us is deeply dedicated to politics or business, while another devotes itself to intellectual curiosity and another to sexual pleasure. There is lacking, then, a tendency toward one unified gravitation of the attention. In fact, the contrary predominates, which leads to dissociation."

-José Ortega Y Gasset

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