Declination

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 state of falling off or declining from excellence or perfection; deterioration; decay; decline. ``The declination of monarchy.'' --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

Summer . . . is not looked on as a time Of declination or decay. --Waller. [1913 Webster]

3. The act of deviating or turning aside; oblique motion; obliquity; withdrawal. [1913 Webster]

The declination of atoms in their descent. --Bentley. [1913 Webster]

Every declination and violation of the rules. --South. [1913 Webster]

4. The act or state of declining or refusing; withdrawal; refusal; averseness. [1913 Webster]

The queen's declination from marriage. --Stow. [1913 Webster]

5. (Astron.) The angular distance of any object from the celestial equator, either northward or southward. [1913 Webster]

6. (Dialing) The arc of the horizon, contained between the vertical plane and the prime vertical circle, if reckoned from the east or west, or between the meridian and the plane, reckoned from the north or south. [1913 Webster]

7. (Gram.) The act of inflecting a word; declension. See {Decline}, v. t., 4. [1913 Webster]

{Angle of declination}, the angle made by a descending line, or plane, with a horizontal plane.

{Circle of declination}, a circle parallel to the celestial equator.

{Declination compass} (Physics), a compass arranged for finding the declination of the magnetic needle.

{Declination of the compass} or {Declination of the needle}, the horizontal angle which the magnetic needle makes with the true north-and-south line. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • déclination — [deklinɑsjɔ̃] n. f. ÉTYM. XIIIe (astron.); déclination, lat. declinatio, du supin de declinare. → Décliner; comparer à déclinaison. ❖ ♦ Rare. 1 Action de décliner. 2 Vx. Pente …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Declination — (v. lat.), 1) Abbeugung, Abneigung, Abweichung; 2) (Gramm.), die Art, wie ein Nomen zur Bezeichnung verschiedener Beziehungen (Casus) abgebeugt (declinirt) wird, wenn es überhaupt beugbar (Declinabile) u. nicht unbeugbar (Indeclinabile) ist, s. u …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • declination — I noun abnegation, denial, disavowal, disclaimer, negation, nonacceptance, noncompliance, nonconsent, refusal, refusal of consent, rejection, renunciation, repudiation, unwillingness II index abandonment (repudiation), abatement (reduction) …   Law dictionary

  • declination — late 14c. as a term in astronomy, from O.Fr. declinacion (Mod.Fr. déclinaison), from L. declinationem (nom. declinatio), noun of action from pp. stem of declinare (see DECLINE (Cf. decline)). It took on various other senses 15c. 17c., most now… …   Etymology dictionary

  • declination — ► NOUN 1) Astronomy the angular distance of a point north or south of the celestial equator. 2) the angular deviation of a compass needle from true north …   English terms dictionary

  • 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

  • Declination — For other uses, see Declination (disambiguation). In astronomy, declination (abbrev. dec or δ) is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. Declination in astronomy is… …   Wikipedia

  • declination — declinational, adj. /dek leuh nay sheuhn/, n. 1. a bending, sloping, or moving downward. 2. deterioration; decline. 3. a swerving or deviating, as from a standard. 4. a polite refusal. 5. Astron. the angular distance of a heavenly body from the… …   Universalium

  • declination — i. The angular difference in direction between magnetic north and true north, or between grid north and true north; hence, magnetic declination and grid declination. ii. The angular distance of a celestial body from the celestial equator along… …   Aviation dictionary

  • declination — noun Etymology: Middle English declinacioun, from Middle French declination, from Latin declination , declinatio angle of the heavens, turning aside Date: 14th century 1. angular distance north or south from the celestial equator measured along a …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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