Definitions
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun the point representing the mean position of the matter in a body.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun physics The center of a mass; often specifically, the point at which the
gravitational forces exerted by two objects are equal - noun geometry The
centroid , the geometric center of a plane figure
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun (astronomy) the common center of mass around which two or more bodies revolve
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Stars in pairs both orbit around a point in space called barycenter, and researchers at times saw these orbits were slightly off, suggesting the presence of a planet tugging at both stars.
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Stars in pairs both orbit around a point in space called a barycenter, and researchers at times saw these orbits were slightly off, suggesting the presence of a planet tugging at both stars.
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OK… in refreshing my knowledge, I’m guessing the location of the barycenter is the deciding factor here… One just hope that the “official” definition, when agreed upon, is more exhaustive than that quoted in the article in order to make that clear…
A Special Message From Scott “Pluto Hayta” Westerfeld « Whatever 2006
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Secondly, imagine them not simply floating semi-idly but rather orbiting an apparent barycenter, like an underwater solar system of satellite hatcheries revolving around a feeder sphere from which nutrients ooze out and are fling outwards towards awaiting hungry fishes.
Archive 2008-10-01 2008
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The individuals of the population all exist in a relatively small locus in gene space, as a cloud of data points---obviously, with a barycenter.
Teach the Controversy James F. McGrath 2008
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Secondly, imagine them not simply floating semi-idly but rather orbiting an apparent barycenter, like an underwater solar system of satellite hatcheries revolving around a feeder sphere from which nutrients ooze out and are fling outwards towards awaiting hungry fishes.
Aquapod® 2008
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The oxygen sits near the barycenter of the tetrahedron.
Quantum Hyperion Sean 2008
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Think of a "population barycenter", where different parts of the population system individuals have unequal survival differentials, even if only very slight.
Teach the Controversy James F. McGrath 2008
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As the generations pass by, it is rather obvious that the barycenter will drift in a nonrandom direction if the differentials are not "symmetric" around it.
Teach the Controversy James F. McGrath 2008
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Even if we accept this as true, the barycenter of this relationship is far closer to the writer than to the reader.
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