Standard Lemma guide

nutation

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A nodding motion (of the head etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any of several irregularities in the precession of the equinoxes caused by varying torque applied to the Earth by the Sun and the Moon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The circular motion of the tip of a growing shoot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

uncontrolled nodding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: nod

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَرَنُّح (tarannuḥ) — physics term
  • Chinese Mandarin: 章動 /章动 (zhāngdòng) — physics term
  • German: Nutation — physics term
  • Greek: κλόνηση (klónisi) — physics term
  • Irish: nútaíocht — physics term
  • Irish: nútú — physics term
  • Japanese: 章動 (shōdō) — physics term
  • Kazakh: нутация (nutasiä) — physics term
  • Portuguese: nutação — physics term
  • Russian: нута́ция (nutácija) — physics term
  • Spanish: nutación — physics term
  • Arabic: إِنْغَاض (ʔinḡāḍ) — head nodding
  • Bulgarian: кимане (kimane) — head nodding
  • Portuguese: nutação — head nodding
  • Russian: кива́ние (kivánije) — head nodding
  • Arabic: تَرَنُّح (tarannuḥ) — astronomical term
  • Chinese Mandarin: 章動 /章动 (zhāngdòng) — astronomical term
  • French: nutation — astronomical term
  • German: Nutation — astronomical term
  • Greek: κλόνηση (klónisi) — astronomical term
  • Irish: nútaíocht — astronomical term
  • Irish: nútú — astronomical term
  • Japanese: 章動 (shōdō) — astronomical term
  • Kazakh: нутация (nutasiä) — astronomical term
  • Portuguese: nutação — astronomical term
  • Spanish: nutación — astronomical term
  • Vietnamese: chương động — astronomical term