Nutant
/ˈnjuːtənt/noun
Nodding, bobbing, or hanging downward, especially in reference to a plant or astronomical body.
Did you know?In astronomy, nutation describes the subtle wobble of Earth’s axis, a periodic “nodding” caused chiefly by the Moon’s gravitational pull.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*neu-
“To nod, incline, or make a sign with the head; the reconstructed ancestral root is associated with gestures of assent or indication.”
Classical Latin
Latin
nuō
“I nod or make a sign by nodding.”
Classical Latin
Latin
nūtāre
“To nod repeatedly, sway, totter, or hang downward; a frequentative form related to nuō.”
Late Latin
Latin
nūtāns
“Nodding or swaying; the present participle of nūtāre.”
17th Century
English
nutant
“A scientific adjective meaning nodding, drooping, or inclined downward.”
Modern English
English
nutant
“Used chiefly in botany and astronomy for something that nods, droops, or undergoes a subtle oscillation.”