Dictionary

libration en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /laɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Latin lībrātiō (“a hurling, swinging”), from lībrō (“poise, cause to swing”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of librating.
2. (countable, uncountable) The apparent wobble or variation in the visible side of the Moon that permanently faces the Earth, allowing observers on Earth to see, over a period of time, slightly more than half of the lunar surface.
3. (broadly, countable, uncountable) A similar rotational or orbital characteristic of some other celestial body.
4. (countable, qualifier:dynamics, uncountable) The oscillation of an angle about a stable equilibrium point.
5. (countable, uncountable) A vibrational degree of freedom whereby a group of atoms partly rotates back and forth, similar to the Moon's motion.
6. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A wavering between two opposing thoughts or choices.
   • We may not quarrel with attempts to picture the libration of emotion which sways Clytaemestra as she veers from love for her husband to the desire to take vengeance upon him[…] 1924, Herbert Weir Smyth, “VI. Orestea. I: Agamemnon”, in Aeschylean Tragedy, page 175:

Forms

Deriveds

antilibration · libration point · librational

Relateds

librate · nutation · libratory

Translations (25)

hy երերում (act of libration) · ko 칭동 (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · ru либра́ция (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · hy ճոճում (act of libration) · hy տատանում (act of libration) · fi huojunta (act of libration) · ko 칭동 (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · fi libraatio (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · fi huojunta (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · ru либра́ция (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · ar مَيَسَان (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · fi libraatio (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · hy ճոճք (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · ar مَيَسَان (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · de Pendeln (act of libration) · ru качание (act of libration) · hy լիբրացիա (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · is tunglvik (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · af librasie (act of libration) · fi huojunta (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · hy լիբրացիա (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · de Ausschwingen (act of libration) · de Libration (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon) · hy ճոճք (astronomy: similar characteristic of another celestial object) · ja 秤動 (astronomy: apparent wobble of the moon)