nutation

N1U1T1A1T1I1O1N1

noun

A bobbing motion that accompanies the precession of a spinning rigid body.

OriginLatin nūtātiō →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

nounnutation (countable and uncountable, plural nutations)

plural nutations

  1. countableuncountablenatural sciencesA bobbing motion that accompanies the precession of a spinning rigid body.
  2. countableuncountableA nodding motion (of the head etc.).
  3. countableuncountableastronomyAny of several irregularities in the precession of the equinoxes caused by varying torque applied to the Earth by the Sun and the Moon.
  4. countableuncountablebiologyThe circular motion of the tip of a growing shoot.

Origin

  1. Latinnūtātiō“nodding”
  2. Englishnutation

1610s, from Latin nūtātiō (“nodding”), from nūtō (“to nod”). Compare mutation.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَرَنُّح, إِنْغَاض
  • تَرَنُّح (tarannuḥ)physics term
  • إِنْغَاض (ʔinḡāḍ)head nodding
  • تَرَنُّح (tarannuḥ)astronomical term
Bulgarian кимане
  • кимане (kimane)head nodding
Chinese Mandarin 章動 /章动, 章動 /章动
  • 章動 /章动 (zhāngdòng)physics term
  • 章動 /章动 (zhāngdòng)astronomical term
French nutation
  • nutationastronomical term
German Nutation, Nutation
  • Nutationphysics term
  • Nutationastronomical term
Greek κλόνηση, κλόνηση
  • κλόνηση (klónisi)physics term
  • κλόνηση (klónisi)astronomical term
Irish nútaíocht, nútú
  • nútaíochtphysics term
  • nútúphysics term
  • nútaíochtastronomical term
  • nútúastronomical term
Japanese 章動, 章動
  • 章動 (shōdō)physics term
  • 章動 (shōdō)astronomical term
Portuguese nutação, nutação
  • nutaçãophysics term
  • nutaçãohead nodding
  • nutaçãoastronomical term
Russian нута́ция, кива́ние
  • нута́ция (nutácija)physics term
  • кива́ние (kivánije)head nodding
Spanish nutación, nutación
  • nutaciónphysics term
  • nutaciónastronomical term
Vietnamese chương động
  • chương độngastronomical term

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with nutation

informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

nutation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutation

MLA

“nutation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nutation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutation.

Source: nutation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.