Center of gravity

Center of gravity
Gravity Grav"i*ty, n.; pl. {Gravities}. [L. gravitas, fr. gravis heavy; cf. F. gravit['e]. See {Grave}, a., {Grief}.] 1. The state of having weight; beaviness; as, the gravity of lead. [1913 Webster]

2. Sobriety of character or demeanor. ``Men of gravity and learning.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Importance, significance, dignity, etc; hence, seriousness; enormity; as, the gravity of an offense. [1913 Webster]

They derive an importance from . . . the gravity of the place where they were uttered. --Burke. [1913 Webster]

4. (Physics) The tendency of a mass of matter toward a center of attraction; esp., the tendency of a body toward the center of the earth; terrestrial gravitation. [1913 Webster]

5. (Mus.) Lowness of tone; -- opposed to {acuteness}. [1913 Webster]

{Center of gravity} See under {Center}.

{Gravity battery}, See {Battery}, n., 4.

{Specific gravity}, the ratio of the weight of a body to the weight of an equal volume of some other body taken as the standard or unit. This standard is usually water for solids and liquids, and air for gases. Thus, 19, the specific gravity of gold, expresses the fact that, bulk for bulk, gold is nineteen times as heavy as water. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Center of gravity — Center Cen ter, n. [F. centre, fr. L. centrum, fr. round which a circle is described, fr. ? to prick, goad.] 1. A point equally distant from the extremities of a line, figure, or body, or from all parts of the circumference of a circle; the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • center of gravity — n. that point in a body or system around which its mass or weight is evenly distributed or balanced and through which the force of gravity acts …   English World dictionary

  • center of gravity — index center (central position) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • center of gravity — noun singular the point in any object around which its weight balances …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • center of gravity — noun the point within something at which gravity can be considered to act; in uniform gravity it is equal to the center of mass • Syn: ↑centre of gravity • Hypernyms: ↑center, ↑centre, ↑midpoint • Hyponyms: ↑center of flotation, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • center of gravity — cen′ter of grav′ity n. 1) mec the center of mass with reference to gravity as the external force 2) the focus of significance or stability: The monarchy was that nation s center of gravity[/ex] • Etymology: 1650–60 …   From formal English to slang

  • center of gravity — (CG) That point in an object, if through which an imaginary pivot line were drawn, would leave the object in balance. In the vehicle, the closer the weight to the ground, the lower the center of gravity. Cornering, acceleration, and other forces… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • center of gravity — sunkio centras statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. center of gravity vok. Schwermittelpunkt, m; Schwerpunkt, m rus. центр тяжести, m pranc. centre de gravité, m …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • Center of gravity of an aircraft — The center of gravity (CG) is the point at which an aircraft would balance if it were possible to suspend it at that point. It is the mass center of the aircraft, or the theoretical point at which the entire weight of the aircraft is assumed to… …   Wikipedia

  • Center of gravity (military) — The center of gravity (CoG) is a concept developed by Carl von Clausewitz, a Prussian military theorist, in his work On War .The definition of CoG according to the United States Department of Defense: those characteristics, capabilities, or… …   Wikipedia

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