aberration

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See also: Aberration

English[edit]

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Etymology[edit]

A learned borrowing from Latin aberrātiō (“relief, diversion”), first attested in 1594 [1], from aberrō (“wander away, go astray”), from ab (“away”) + errō (“wander”)[2]. Compare French aberration. See also aberrate.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

aberration (plural aberrations)

  1. The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state. [Late 16th century.][3]
    the aberration of youth
    aberrations from theory
    aberration of character
  2. (optics) The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; a defect in a focusing mechanism that prevents the intended focal point. [Mid 18th century.][3]
  3. (astronomy) A small periodical change of position in the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer. [Mid 18th century.][3]
  4. A partial alienation of reason. [Early 19th century.][3]
    • (Can we date this quote?), Lingard, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      Occasional aberrations of intellect.
    • (Can we date this quote?), I. Taylor, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      Whims, which at first are the aberrations of a single brain, pass with heat into epidemic form.
  5. A mental disorder, especially one of a minor or temporary character. [Early 19th century.][3]
  6. (zoology, botany) Atypical development or structure; deviation from the normal type; an aberrant organ. [Mid 19th century.][3]
  7. (medicine) A deviation of a tissue, organ or mental functions from what is considered to be within the normal range.

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from aberration

Translations[edit]

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Translations to be checked

References[edit]

  1. ^ Aberration at Dictionary.com
  2. ^ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 2
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 “aberration” in Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-19-860457-0, page 4.

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

aberration f (plural aberrations)

  1. aberration
  2. the state of being aberrant
  3. (astronomy) aberration
  4. (optics) aberration
  5. (physiology) aberration or mutation

Anagrams[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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