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nutational
[
noo-
tey
-sh
uh
n
,
nyoo-
]
nu·ta·tion
/
nuˈteɪ
ʃən
,
nyu-
/
Show Spelled
[
noo-
tey
-sh
uh
n
,
nyoo-
]
Show IPA
noun
1.
an act or instance of nodding one's head, especially involuntarily or spasmodically.
2.
Botany
.
spontaneous movements of plant parts during growth.
3.
Astronomy
.
the periodic oscillation observed in the precession of the earth's axis and the precession of the equinoxes.
4.
Mechanics
.
the variation of the inclination of the axis of a gyroscope to the vertical.
Origin:
1605–15;
<
Latin
nūtātiōn-
(stem of
nūtātiō
), equivalent to
nūtāt
(
us
) (past participle of
nūtāre
to nod repeatedly;
nū-
nod +
-tā-
frequentative suffix +
-tus
past participle ending) +
-iōn-
-ion
;
compare
numen
Related forms
nu·ta·tion·al,
adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To
nutational
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Nutational
is always a great word to know.
So is
slumgullion
. Does it mean:
So is
flibbertigibbet
. Does it mean:
So is
gobo
. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Collins
World English Dictionary
nutation
(njuːˈteɪʃən)
—
n
1.
astronomy
a periodic variation in the precession of the earth's axis causing the earth's poles to oscillate about their mean position
2.
physics
a periodic variation in the uniform precession of the axis of any spinning body, such as a gyroscope, about the horizontal
3.
Also called:
circumnutation
the spiral growth of a shoot, tendril, or similar plant organ, caused by variation in the growth rate in different parts
4.
the act or an instance of nodding the head
[C17: from Latin
nutātiō,
from
nūtāre
to nod]
nu'tational
—
adj
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
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