Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Unsteady; unstable.
- adj. Physics Having no particular directional characteristics.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Unstable; unsteady.
- Hence In physical, having no tendency to take a definite (fixed) position; without directive power: used especially of a magnetic needle whose directive property has been neutralized. A needle may be rendered astatic in various ways, but most simply by the proximity of another needle of the same intensity fixed parallel to it, and with the poles reversed, the north pole of the one being adjacent to the south pole of the other. In this position the needles neutralize each other, and are therefore unaffected by the magnetism of the earth, though they are still subject to the influence of an electric current properly situated. Such needles were formerly employed in the electric telegraph, and they form an essential part of the astatic galvanometer.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. (Magnetism) Having little or no tendency to take a fixed or definite position or direction: thus, a suspended magnetic needle, when rendered
astatic , loses its polarity, or tendency to point in a given direction.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. not static or stable
Etymologies
- a- + static (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Quartz fibres have two great advantages over other forms of suspension when employed for any kind of torsion balance, from an ordinary more or less "astatic" galvanometer to the Cavendish apparatus.”
“There is much worry and misery in the world because so many are astatic, like a compass that has lost its loadstone.”
“The loafing or astatic mind will fall into morbid tendencies.”
“This magnet is capable of rendering the needle less sensitive or of making it astatic.”
“Horizontal and vertical astatic system are also used -- Figs. 18, 18a.”
“The most convenient way will be to use two coils, one on each side of the astatic needle.”
“Hang the astatic needle so that the wire between the two parts will not quite touch the coil.”
“For a description of the wood-work, coil, etc., see App. 112; for the astatic needle see App. 69; for the method of supporting the needle see App. 113, Fig. 86.”
“By this the astatic needle is suspended and protected from air currents.”
“This coil, etc., may be used in connection with an astatic needle.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘astatic’.
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Rare Words - A
Not just rare words, but thousands of RARE WORDS WITH DEFINITIONS.
If you want to see the definitions, too, go to
http://phrontistery.i...aba, abacinate, abactor, abaculus, abaft, abampere, abapical, abarticular, abasement, abasia, abask, abatis and 1214 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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phrontistery - a
from phrontistery.info
aba, abacinate, abactor, abaculus, abaft, abampere, abasia, abask, abb, abba, abbatial, abra and 1214 more...
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Move it!
Awesome actions or motions.
celerity, peremptory, volplane, founder, whirl, gallopade, rathe, jounce, jive, jink, jibe, jectigation and 17 more...
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ADW1
obdurate, obstinate, behest, injunction, enjoin, circumspect, ensconce, discursive, lugubrious, doleful, somber, ken and 2476 more...
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Collage's Words
subtle, calamity, impale, qat, painterly, piebald, surly, nihilistic, repine, slake, larder, sepulchre and 349 more...
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jmjarmstrong's list
Words that I used to know.
geloscopy, hunker, willy nilly, harum scarum, whacko, meh, nork, misunderestimate, atrabiliousness, luftmensch, auxanometer, hyperhedonia and 1948 more...
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Neology
neology, du jour, monanthous, corf, schuss, cladophyll, laniferous, astatic, dahabeah, vibrissa, resupinate, almandine and 77 more...
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perhapsolutely's Words
polyradiculoneuro..., abulia, abubble, abscission, abaft, zareba, abatis, abigail, abiogenesis, ablate, ablaut, abo and 1705 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for astatic.
jmjarmstrong JM is one half of an astatic pair. Jul 31, 2010