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centripetal
[ sen-trip-i-tl ]
adjective
- directed toward the center ( centrifugal ).
- operating by centripetal force.
- Physiology. afferent.
centripetal
/ sɛnˈtrɪpɪtəl; ˈsɛntrɪˌpiːtəl /
adjective
- acting, moving, or tending to move towards a centre Compare centrifugal
- of, concerned with, or operated by centripetal force
- botany (esp of certain inflorescences) developing from the outside towards the centre
- physiol another word for afferent
centripetal
/ sĕn-trĭp′ĭ-tl /
- Moving or directed toward a center or axis, particularly one around which an object is spinning.
- Transmitting nerve impulses toward the brain or spinal cord; afferent.
- Developing or progressing inward toward a center or axis, as in the growth of plant structures. For example, in the disk of the inflorescence of a sunflower, the florets near the edge open first, and the ones in the center last.
- Compare centrifugal
Derived Forms
- cenˈtripetally, adverb
Other Words From
- cen·tripe·tal·ism noun
- cen·tripe·tal·ly adverb
- uncen·tripe·tal adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of centripetal1
Word History and Origins
Origin of centripetal1
Compare Meanings
How does centripetal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
A mere arm’s length away from one another, the riders stay steady, thanks to centripetal force and prayers.
A: The evidence suggests that there are centripetal forces that keep metropolitan areas from continually expanding outward, and that centripetal force is going to remain.
Chung’s slice-of-life writing is nicely observed but gentle to a fault, circling around its themes widely and long enough to lose centripetal force.
But he argues they also need the centripetal force of “cultural patriotism,” to balance the centrifugal forces that this diversity ignites.
He pursued engineering first, becoming an artist in 1967 — and he has essentially applied the technique of centripetal force in endless variations for more than five decades in his sculpture practice.
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