aberration

See also: Aberration

English

Etymology

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
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

aberration (countable and uncountable, 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

Translations
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Translations to be checked

References
  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), page 2
  3. “aberration” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 4.

French

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /a.bɛ.ʁa.sjɔ̃/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

aberration f (plural aberrations)

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

Further reading

Anagrams
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