Precession Definition
prē-sĕshən
noun
The act of preceding; precedence.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
An effect exhibited by a spinning body, as a top, when an applied torque tends to change the direction of its rotational axis, causing this axis generally to describe a cone and to turn at right angles to the direction of the torque.
Webster's New World
A slow gyration of the earth's rotational axis around the pole of the ecliptic, caused by the gravitational pull of the sun, moon, and other planets on the earth's equatorial bulge.
American Heritage
(uncountable) Precedence.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Precession
Noun
Singular:
precession
Plural:
precessionsOrigin of Precession
-
Late Latin praecessiō praecessiōn- from Latin praecessus past participle of praecēdere to go before precede
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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