Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act or process of deforming.
  • noun The condition of being deformed.
  • noun An alteration of form for the worse.
  • noun An alteration of shape, as by pressure or stress.
  • noun The shape that results from such an alteration.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of deforming, or changing the form of; change of form.
  • noun An altered form.
  • noun Deformity; disfigurement.
  • noun In geometry and mech., a change of shape of a body or surface without any breach of the continuity of its parts, and generally without any alteration of the size of them; relative displacement of parts; strain.
  • noun In botany, any malformation or abnormal growth due to the attack of some parasite.
  • noun In geology, the process whereby, under the influence of strains (usually compressive), individual strata, masses of rock, or larger portions of the earth's crust suffer change of form, as when massive rocks become schistose, flat strata are folded, or mountain-ranges are upheaved.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of deforming, or state of anything deformed.
  • noun Transformation; change of shape.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act of deforming, or state of being deformed.
  • noun A transformation; change of shape.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a change for the worse
  • noun alteration in the shape or dimensions of an object as a result of the application of stress to it
  • noun the act of twisting or deforming the shape of something (e.g., yourself)

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The problem was, this is what we call deformation zone.

    CNN Transcript Feb 13, 2006 2006

  • Using InSAR and GPS data, scientists are able to measure and monitor where and how stress changes in the crust as well as how any associated deformation is distributed.

    InSAR in Wenchuan - China Bente Lilja Bye 2009

  • By adding boring grooves, T/C barrels provide more consistent velocities and a snug fit where bullet deformation is less likely.

    Further Testing on the Shaw Mark VII 2009

  • By adding boring grooves, T/C barrels provide more consistent velocities and a snug fit where bullet deformation is less likely.

    Further Testing on the Shaw Mark VII 2009

  • Using InSAR and GPS data, scientists are able to measure and monitor where and how stress changes in the crust as well as how any associated deformation is distributed.

    Archive 2009-07-01 Bente Lilja Bye 2009

  • The resistance to flow under plastic deformation is called its viscoplasticity.

    Archive 2005-09-01 2005

  • To say that deformation is simply another name for selection minimizes the radical scale of its intervention.

    Deforming Keat's 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' 2003

  • At an earlier stage, however, the activity can be started, as with a sense organ, by mechanical deformation, and it ceases when the deformation is over.

    Edgar Adrian - Nobel Lecture 1965

  • I was picturing shorter term deformation measurements like those used in volcano monitoring.

    Earth & Sky Podcast 2009

  • Until the unfortunate reform - one should call it "deformation" - many converts found their way to the Church via the liturgy.

    On the Mass--New and Old Argent 2006

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