centripetal

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: cen=trip=e=tal

CIDE DICTIONARY

centripetal, a. [L. centrum center + petere to move toward.].

•  Tending, or causing, to approach the center.  [1913 Webster]
•  Expanding first at the base of the inflorescence, and proceeding in order towards the summit.  [1913 Webster]
•  Progressing by changes from the exterior of a thing toward its center; as, the centripetal calcification of a bone.  R. Owen.  [1913 Webster]

Centripetal force (Mech.), a force whose direction is towards a center, as in case of a planet revolving round the sun, the center of the system, See Centrifugal force, under Centrifugal. -- Centripetal impression (Physiol.), an impression (sensory) transmitted by an afferent nerve from the exterior of the body inwards, to the central organ.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

centripetal, adj. moving or tending to move towards a centre (cf. CENTRIFUGAL).

Idiom

centripetal force the force acting on a body causing it to move about a centre.

Derivative

centripetally adv.

Etymology

mod.L centripetus f. L centrum centre + petere seek

THESAURUS

centripetal

approaching, asymptotic, centrolineal, concentrating, concurrent, confluent, confocal, connivent, consolidating, converging, focal, meeting, mutually approaching, radial, radiating, tangent, tangential, unifying, uniting

ROGET THESAURUS

centripetal

Repulsion

N repulsion, driving from, repulse, abduction, magnetic repulsion, magnetic levitation, antigravity, repelling, repellent, repulsive, abducent, abductive, centripetal, like charges repel, opposite charges attract, like poles repel, opposite poles attract.

Convergence

N convergence, confluence, concourse, conflux, congress, concurrence, concentration, convergency, appulse, meeting, corradiation, assemblage, resort, asymptote, converging, convergent, confluent, concurrent, centripetal, asymptotical, asymptotic, confluxible.