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precession

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pre⋅ces⋅sion

  [pree-sesh-uhn]
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–noun
1. the act or fact of preceding; precedence.
2. Mechanics. the motion of the rotation axis of a rigid body, as a spinning top, when a disturbing torque is applied while the body is rotating such that the rotation axis describes a cone, with the vertical through the vertex of the body as axis of the cone, and the motion of the rotating body is perpendicular to the direction of the torque.
3. Astronomy.
a. the slow, conical motion of the earth's axis of rotation, caused by the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon, and, to a smaller extent, of the planets, on the equatorial bulge of the earth.
b. precession of the equinoxes.
Origin:
1300–50; < LL praecessiōn- (s. of praecessiō) a going before, advance, equiv. to L praecess(us) (ptp. of praecēdere to precede ) + -iōn- -ion; see cession

Related forms:
pre⋅ces⋅sion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pre·ces·sion   (prē-sěsh'ən)   
n.  

  1. The act or state of preceding; precedence.

  2. Physics The motion of the axis of a spinning body, such as the wobble of a spinning top, when there is an external force acting on the axis.

  3. Astronomy

    1. Precession of the equinoxes.

    2. A slow gyration of the earth's axis around the pole of the ecliptic, caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the sun, moon, and other planets on the earth's equatorial bulge.


[Late Latin praecessiō, praecessiōn-, from Latin praecessus, past participle of praecēdere, to go before; see precede.]
pre·ces'sion·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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Word Origin & History

precession 
1594, from L.L. præcissionem (nom. præcissio) "a coming before," from L. præcessus, pp. of præcedere (see precede). Originally used of calculations of the equinoxes, which come slightly earlier each year.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
precession   (prē-sěsh'ən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The rotational motion of the axis of a spinning body, such as the wobbling of a spinning top, caused by torque applied to the body along its axis of rotation.

  2. The motion of this kind made by the Earth's axis, caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the Sun, Moon, and other planets. The precession of Earth's axis has a period of nearly 25,800 years, during which time the reference points on the equatorial coordinate system (the celestial poles and celestial equator) will gradually shift their positions on the celestial sphere. ◇ The precession of the equinoxes is the slow westward shift of the autumnal and vernal equinoxes along the ecliptic, resulting from precession of the Earth's axis. See also nutation.


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