Crossword clues for aberration
aberration
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Aberration \Ab`er*ra"tion\, n. [L. aberratio: cf. F. aberration. See Aberrate.]
The act of wandering; deviation, especially from truth or moral rectitude, from the natural state, or from a type. ``The aberration of youth.''
--Hall. ``Aberrations from theory.''
--Burke.-
A partial alienation of reason. ``Occasional aberrations of intellect.''
--Lingard.Whims, which at first are the aberrations of a single brain, pass with heat into epidemic form.
--I. Taylor. (Astron.) 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; called annual aberration, when the observer's motion is that of the earth in its orbit, and daily or diurnal aberration, when of the earth on its axis; amounting when greatest, in the former case, to 20.4'', and in the latter, to 0.3''. Planetary aberration is that due to the motion of light and the motion of the planet relative to the earth.
(Opt.) 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; called spherical aberration, when due to the spherical form of the lens or mirror, such form giving different foci for central and marginal rays; and chromatic aberration, when due to different refrangibilities of the colored rays of the spectrum, those of each color having a distinct focus.
(Physiol.) The passage of blood or other fluid into parts not appropriate for it.
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(Law) The producing of an unintended effect by the glancing of an instrument, as when a shot intended for A glances and strikes B.
Syn: Insanity; lunacy; madness; derangement; alienation; mania; dementia; hallucination; illusion; delusion. See Insanity.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1590s, "a wandering, straying," from Latin aberrationem (nominative aberratio) "a wandering," noun of action from past participle stem of aberrare "to wander out of the way, lose the way, go astray," from ab- "away" (see ab-) + errare "to wander" (see err). Meaning "deviation from the normal type" first attested 1846.
Wiktionary
n. 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.)(R:SOED5: page=4) 2 (context optics English) The convergence to different focus, 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 (context astronomy English) 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.) 4 A partial alienation of reason. (Early 19th century.) 5 A mental disorder, especially one of a minor or temporary character. (Early 19th century.) 6 (context zoology botany English) Atypical development or structure; deviation from the normal type; an aberrant organ. (Mid 19th century.) 7 (context medicine Finnish) A deviation of a tissue, organ or mental functions from what is considered to be within the normal range.
WordNet
n. a state or condition markedly different from the norm [syn: aberrance, aberrancy, deviance]
a disorder in one's mental state
an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image [syn: distortion, optical aberration]
Wikipedia
An aberration is something that deviates from the normal way.
Aberration may refer to:
Aberration is a 1997 film directed by Tim Boxell. It was set in the United States and shot in New Zealand, and stars Pamela Gidley as a woman who moves to her old childhood cabin in the woods, only to discover that it is overrun by a pack of murderous lizard-like creatures.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, aberration is a type of creature, or " creature type". Aberrations generally all have bizarre anatomies, strange abilities, alien mindsets, or any combination thereof.
In 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons, all aberrations have darkvision out to 60 feet. As a group, they have no other special abilities or immunities.
In Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition, Aberration was replaced with the Aberrant creature origin.
Usage examples of "aberration".
An Aberrant whose Aberration made her better than those who despised her.
Q Factor, though high, is not of any such extraordinary highness as to justify an attempt at psychosurgery to correct the aberration, it is therefore recommended that subject be released from the Communipath Creche on her own recognizance after suitable indoctrination erasure.
It is another key discovery that the old seers made, but in their aberration they relegated it to oblivion until it was rescued by the new seers.
In their aberration they believed it was worth their while to break all the barriers of perception, even if they had to become trees to do that.
And because of the aberration of the Dutch and Belgians for neutrality there had been no staff consultations by which the defenders could pool their plans and resources to the best advantage.
It seems likely that Raeder took this step largely because he wanted to anticipate any sudden aberration of his unpredictable Leader.
This was the final consequence and the shattering cost of the aberration which came over the Nazi dictator in his youthful gutter days in Vienna and which he imparted to - or shared with - so many of his German followers.
The rest I was prepared to dismiss airily as some sort of unfortunate aberration brought about by the exceptional circumstances of the tornado.
For every hundred useless aberrations there may be one that is useful, that provides its bearer an advantage over its kin.
But the fateful decisions secretly made, the intrigues, the treachery, the motives and the aberrations which led up to them, the parts played by the principal actors behind the scenes, the extent of the terror they exercised and their technique of organizing it - all this and much more remained largely hidden from us until the secret German papers turned up.
For the mind and the passion of Hitler - all the aberrations that possessed his feverish brain - had roots that lay deep in German experience and thought.
Those who remained, many of them, were bitten by the Nazi aberrations and attempted to apply them to pure science.
They all shuffle, all these strange lonely children of God, these mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives whose noisy aberrations are safely muffled now by drugs.
It was not an undiscovered quirk of Kaf or an aberration from the sinister forces.
Roulet and Grenier the courts referred the whole matter of Lycanthropy, or animal transformation, to its true and legitimate cause, an aberration of the brain.