declination of the needle
- declination of the needle
- Variation Va`ri*a"tion, n. [OE. variatioun, F. variation, L.
variatio. See {Vary}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form,
position, state, or qualities of a thing; modification;
alternation; mutation; diversity; deviation; as, a
variation of color in different lights; a variation in
size; variation of language.
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The essences of things are conceived not capable of
any such variation. --Locke.
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2. Extent to which a thing varies; amount of departure from a
position or state; amount or rate of change.
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3. (Gram.) Change of termination of words, as in declension,
conjugation, derivation, etc.
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4. (Mus.) Repetition of a theme or melody with fanciful
embellishments or modifications, in time, tune, or
harmony, or sometimes change of key; the presentation of a
musical thought in new and varied aspects, yet so that the
essential features of the original shall still preserve
their identity.
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5. (Alg.) One of the different arrangements which can be made
of any number of quantities taking a certain number of
them together.
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{Annual variation} (Astron.), the yearly change in the right
ascension or declination of a star, produced by the
combined effects of the precession of the equinoxes and
the proper motion of the star.
{Calculus of variations}. See under {Calculus}.
{Variation compass}. See under {Compass}.
{Variation of the moon} (Astron.), an inequality of the
moon's motion, depending on the angular distance of the
moon from the sun. It is greater at the octants, and zero
at the quadratures.
{Variation of the needle} (Geog. & Naut.), the angle included
between the true and magnetic meridians of a place; the
deviation of the direction of a magnetic needle from the
true north and south line; -- called also {declination of
the needle}.
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Syn: Change; vicissitude; variety; deviation.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
2000.
Look at other dictionaries:
Declination of the needle — Declination Dec li*na tion, n. [L. declinatio a bending aside, an avoiding: cf. F. d[ e]clination a decadence. See {Declension}.] 1. The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Declination of the compass — Declination Dec li*na tion, n. [L. declinatio a bending aside, an avoiding: cf. F. d[ e]clination a decadence. See {Declension}.] 1. The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Declension of the needle — Declension De*clen sion, n. [Apparently corrupted fr. F. d[ e]clinaison, fr. L. declinatio, fr. declinare. See {Decline}, and cf. {Declination}.] 1. The act or the state of declining; declination; descent; slope. [1913 Webster] The declension of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Variation of the needle — Variation Va ri*a tion, n. [OE. variatioun, F. variation, L. variatio. See {Vary}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing; modification; alternation; mutation; diversity;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Declination — Dec li*na tion, n. [L. declinatio a bending aside, an avoiding: cf. F. d[ e]clination a decadence. See {Declension}.] 1. The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or state of falling … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Declination compass — Declination Dec li*na tion, n. [L. declinatio a bending aside, an avoiding: cf. F. d[ e]clination a decadence. See {Declension}.] 1. The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Angle of declination — Declination Dec li*na tion, n. [L. declinatio a bending aside, an avoiding: cf. F. d[ e]clination a decadence. See {Declension}.] 1. The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Circle of declination — Declination Dec li*na tion, n. [L. declinatio a bending aside, an avoiding: cf. F. d[ e]clination a decadence. See {Declension}.] 1. The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head. [1913 Webster] 2. The act or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Variation of the moon — Variation Va ri*a tion, n. [OE. variatioun, F. variation, L. variatio. See {Vary}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing; modification; alternation; mutation; diversity;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
declination — [dek΄lə nā′shən] n. [ME declinacioun < L declinatio: see DECLENSION] 1. a bending or sloping downward; deviation from the horizontal or vertical 2. an oblique variation from some definite direction 3. the angle formed by a magnetic needle with … English World dictionary
