Nutation Definition
no͝o-tāshən, nyo͝o-
noun
The act or an instance of nodding the head, esp. when involuntary.
Webster's New World
A periodic variation in the inclination from the vertical of the rotation axis of a spinning body, as a top.
Webster's New World
Such a small, periodic oscillation of the earth's axis, that slightly varies or nods the earth's precessional motion.
Webster's New World
A slight rotatory movement, as in the stem of a plant, due to the varying rates of growth in its parts.
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Nutation
Noun
Singular:
nutation
Plural:
nutationsOrigin of Nutation
Latin nūtātiō nūtātiōn- from nūtātus past participle of nūtāre frequentative of -nuere to nod
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
First attested in 1610s. Derived from Latin nutatio, from nÅ«tō (“I nod").
From Wiktionary
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