precession
/pri'seʃn/
Definition
- Noun:
- The act of preceding in time, order, or rank: The fact or state of coming before something else in a sequence, such as in a formal ceremony.
- A specific motion of a rotating body: The slow, conical movement of the axis of a spinning object (like a top or a gyroscope) as it rotates, causing the axis itself to trace out a circle.
Examples of Usage
Noun (Order/Rank):
- The precession of the eldest son in the royal procession was a tradition.
- In the list, the precession of cause over effect is logical.
Noun (Physical Motion):
- The precession of a child's top causes its handle to slowly circle around.
- Astronomers study the precession of the Earth's axis, which completes a cycle approximately every 26,000 years.
Advanced Usage
- "Precession of the equinoxes": A specific astronomical term referring to the gradual westward shift of the equinoctial points along the ecliptic. This is caused by the precession of the Earth's rotational axis.
- The precession of the equinoxes means that the astrological signs no longer align with the constellations they were named for.
Variants and Related Words
- Precede (verb): To come before in time, order, or position.
- Dinner precedes the evening lecture.
- Precess (verb): To undergo precessional motion.
- The gyroscope began to precess when force was applied.
- Precessional (adjective): Relating to or caused by precession.
- The precessional cycle of Earth is very long.
Synonyms
- Precedence: The condition of being considered more important; priority in rank or order.
- Wobble: An unsteady movement from side to side (related to the motion sense, though less precise).
Related Phrases
- Lunisolar precession: The main component of the Earth's precession caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon on Earth's equatorial bulge.
- Axial precession: Another term for the precession of a rotating body's axis.
Noun
-
the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony)
-
the motion of a spinning body (as a top) in which it wobbles so that the axis of rotation sweeps out a cone
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ gần giống
Từ chứa "precession"
Từ có nhắc đến "precession"
