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DECLINATION
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A polite refusal of an invitation
Synonyms:
declination; regrets
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("declination" is a kind of...):
acknowledgement; acknowledgment (a statement acknowledging something or someone)
refusal (a message refusing to accept something that is offered)
Derivation:
decline (refuse to accept)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or to the south of the celestial equator; expressed in degrees; used with right ascension to specify positions on the celestial sphere
Synonyms:
celestial latitude; dec; declination
Classified under:
Nouns denoting spatial position
Hypernyms ("declination" is a kind of...):
angular distance (the angular separation between two objects as perceived by an observer)
Domain category:
astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A downward slope or bend
Synonyms:
declension; declination; decline; declivity; descent; downslope; fall
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Hypernyms ("declination" is a kind of...):
incline; side; slope (an elevated geological formation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "declination"):
downhill (the downward slope of a hill)
steep (a steep place (as on a hill))
Derivation:
decline (go down)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state
Synonyms:
declination; decline
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("declination" is a kind of...):
condition; status (a state at a particular time)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "declination"):
disuse; neglect (the state of something that has been unused and neglected)
twilight (a condition of decline following successes)
wreck (something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation)
Derivation:
decline (grow worse)
