Latin

Noun

gravitātio f ‎(genitive gravitātiōnis); third declension

1. (New Latin, physics) gravitation
   • 1643, Antonius Deusing, De vero systemate mundi dissertatio mathematica, p. 148:

     Si enim lapis ex alto decidat in librae lancem, magis utique ipsam lancem deprimit, quam si simpliciter eidem imponatur: at actuali suo gravitatis nisu infert lapis hanc depressionem; ea igitur cum major sit cadente lapide, majorem quoque lapidis cadentis gravitationem indicat.

     If indeed a stone falls from a height into the tray of a balance, it presses down on that very tray undoubtedly more than if it were simply placed upon it: but by its active pressure of gravity the stone brings in this pressing down; therefore when (the pressing down) is more with the falling stone, it indicates also more gravitation of the falling stone.

   • 1645, Albert Kyper, Institutiones physicae, p. 482:

     An elementa in suis locis gravitent vel levitent? ℞. 1. Si gravitatio & levitatio sumatur adaequate pro actu gravitatis & levitatis, omnino cum & conservatio in loco actus sit, elementis naturaliter tribui debet.

     Do elements fall or rise in position? Response 1. If gravitation and levitation are put equally for the act of heaviness and lightness, in general when preservation is moreover in the place of the act, preservation ought naturally to be granted to the elements.

   • 1795, Simon L'Hulier, Principiorum calculi differentialis et integralis expositio elementaris, p. 335:

     Gravitatio, quam corpus sphaericum exercet, sequitur rationem inversam duplicatam distantiae ab centro corporis hujus, quoad corpus gravitans extra illud situm est.

     Gravitation, which a spherical body wields, follows a double inverse rule of the distance from the center of this body, as long as the gravitating body is positioned outside of it.

Related terms

• gravitas
• gravito

Inflection

Third declension.

Descendants

• German: Gravitation
• Hungarian: gravitáció
• Russian: гравитация ‎(gravitacija)