different between libration vs libation

English

Etymology

From Latin l?br?ti? (“a hurling, swinging”), from l?br? (“poise, cause to swing”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /la??b?e?.??n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

libration (countable and uncountable, plural librations)

1. The act of librating.
2. (astronomy) The apparent wobble or variation in the visible side of the Moon that permanently faces the Earth, allowing observers on Earth to see, over a period of time, slightly more than half of the lunar surface.
3. (by extension) A similar rotational or orbital characteristic of some other celestial body.
4. (dynamics) The oscillation of an angle about a stable equilibrium point.
5. (chemistry) A vibrational degree of freedom whereby a group of atoms partly rotates back and forth, similar to the Moon's motion.

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

Translations

References

English

Etymology

From Latin l?b?ti?, from l?b?re (“to take a little from anything, to taste, to pour out as an offering”)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

libation (countable and uncountable, plural libations)

1. The act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.

   Synonyms: tip, tipping
2. The wine or liquid thus poured out.
3. (often humorous) A beverage, especially an alcoholic one.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:alcoholic beverage

Related terms

• libate

Translations

See also

• potation

Further reading

• libation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia