DECLINATION
Dictionary entry overview: What does declination mean?
• DECLINATION (noun)
The noun DECLINATION has 4 senses:
1. a condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state
2. a downward slope or bend
3. (astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the celestial equator; expressed in degrees; used with right ascension to specify positions on the celestial sphere
4. a polite refusal of an invitation
Familiarity information: DECLINATION used as a noun is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• DECLINATION (noun)
Meaning:
A condition inferior to an earlier condition; a gradual falling off from a better state
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
declination; decline
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)
Meaning:
A downward slope or bend
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Synonyms:
declivity; downslope; declination; declension; fall; decline; descent
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))
Meaning:
(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the celestial equator; expressed in degrees; used with right ascension to specify positions on the celestial sphere
Classified under:
Nouns denoting spatial position
Synonyms:
celestial latitude; dec; declination
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)
Meaning:
A polite refusal of an invitation
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
regrets; declination
Hypernyms ("declination" is a kind of...):
acknowledgement; acknowledgment (a statement acknowledging something or someone)
refusal (a message refusing to accept something that is offered)
