PERTURBATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does perturbation mean? 

• PERTURBATION (noun)
  The noun PERTURBATION has 5 senses:

1. an unhappy and worried mental state

2. (physics) a secondary influence on a system that causes it to deviate slightly

3. activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption

4. a disposition that is confused or nervous and upset

5. the act of causing disorder

  Familiarity information: PERTURBATION used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PERTURBATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unhappy and worried mental state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

disturbance; perturbation; upset

Context example:

she didn't realize the upset she caused me

Hypernyms ("perturbation" is a kind of...):

agitation (a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance)

Derivation:

perturb (disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(physics) a secondary influence on a system that causes it to deviate slightly

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("perturbation" is a kind of...):

influence (the effect of one thing (or person) on another)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "perturbation"):

variation ((astronomy) any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite (especially a perturbation of the earth's moon))

Derivation:

perturb (cause a celestial body to deviate from a theoretically regular orbital motion, especially as a result of interposed or extraordinary gravitational pull)

perturb (disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

disturbance; perturbation

Context example:

there was a disturbance of neural function

Hypernyms ("perturbation" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "perturbation"):

bother; fuss; hassle; trouble (an angry disturbance)

magnetic storm (a sudden disturbance of the earth's magnetic field; caused by emission of particles from the sun)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A disposition that is confused or nervous and upset

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

fluster; perturbation

Hypernyms ("perturbation" is a kind of...):

discomposure (a temperament that is perturbed and lacking in composure)

Derivation:

perturb (throw into great confusion or disorder)

perturb (disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The act of causing disorder

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

disruption; perturbation

Hypernyms ("perturbation" is a kind of...):

disturbance (the act of disturbing something or someone; setting something in motion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "perturbation"):

breakdown; dislocation (the act of disrupting an established order so it fails to continue)

surprisal; surprise (the act of surprising someone)

Derivation:

perturb (throw into great confusion or disorder)

perturb (disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom)

 Context examples 

This allele, which encodes 150 kDa oxygen-regulated protein, is involved in the cytoprotective response to hypoxia-induced cellular perturbation.

(HYOU1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Those perturbations are called geomagnetic storms.

(Solar Storms Can Drain Electrical Charge Above Earth, NASA)

After the first perturbation of surprise had passed away, in a Good heaven!

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Wolf's perturbation began to wax. He desired ubiquity.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

It was in his eyes that I saw the cause of her perturbation.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Iswi is a component of NURF, a nucleosome remodeling complex that facilitates the perturbation of chromatin structure in an ATP-dependent manner.

(ISWI, NCI Thesaurus)

Mrs. Weston was looking so ill, and had an air of so much perturbation, that Emma's uneasiness increased; and the moment they were alone, she eagerly said, What is it my dear friend?

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

While these newly-born notions were passing in their heads, the perturbation of Elizabeth's feelings was at every moment increasing.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Marianne's joy was almost a degree beyond happiness, so great was the perturbation of her spirits and her impatience to be gone.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Iswi is a component of a 215 kD protein NURF, a nucleosome remodeling complex that facilitates the perturbation of chromatin structure in an ATP-dependent manner.

(ISWI Family Protein, NCI Thesaurus)