rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -ion
English

-ion

an action, process, or result

Forms

  • -ion

Origin

Borrowed through French from Latin -io, whose longer form was -ion-.

Note

The ending names activities and results, rather than contributing a concrete object meaning.

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noun

gravitation

grav-ih-TAY-shuhn/ˌɡrævɪˈteɪʃn/

The attraction that draws masses toward one another.

Gravitation keeps the moon in orbit as it circles Earth.

A simple physical illustration of Earth and Moon, with two small thin functional arrows pointing each body toward the other to show mutual gravitational attraction; no orbit diagram, labels, equations or star-filled panorama.
Etymology
gravitatLatinexert weight; move downward
+ionEnglishan action, process, or result

The verb behind gravitation described exerting weight or moving downward. The noun named the force that gives objects weight, connecting that familiar downward tendency with attraction between masses.

In context

NASA STI Program5:37
Newton's law of universal gravitation any two objects in the universe such as the earth and the moon attract each other with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses
Space Flight: The Application of Orbital Mechanics

More examples

  • The strength of gravitation decreases as the distance between objects increases.
  • Ocean tides result mainly from the moon's gravitation.
  • Scientists calculate how gravitation affects the paths of planets.

Forms

gravitation

gravitational adjective — Relating to attraction between objects with mass.

Similar words

gravity
The usual word for gravitation, especially near a planet.
attraction
Broader term for pulling forces, including magnetism and gravitation.