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# perturbation

noun (a perturbation, perturbations)

«perturbation» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) Worry or anxiety; being upset: "She showed no perturbation." [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#m1)
2. (science) A small change or disturbance in the movement or state of something, such as a planet's orbit being pulled by another planet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science and astronomy, perturbations in Uranus's orbit led astronomers to discover Neptune in 1846. In maths and physics, a perturbation is a small push or change. In old-fashioned stories, it means worry.

### Examples

- Small perturbations in Uranus's orbit helped find Neptune. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#x1)
- He listened without any sign of perturbation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#x2)
- The spacecraft corrected for perturbations in its path. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#x3)
- A tiny perturbation can change the weather a lot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#x4)
- Her perturbation grew as the dog did not come home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#x5)
- Scientists measured the perturbation caused by the moon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/#x6)

### Note

Formal. Verb: perturb (to worry); adjective: perturbed (worried), unperturbed (calm). In science it means a small disturbance, not a big crash.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «perturbation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/perturbation/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«perturbation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/perturbation.html) on Mova free.