anomaly

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a·nom·a·ly

(ə-nŏm′ə-lē)

n. pl. a·nom·a·lies

1. Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule.

2. One that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify: "Both men are anomalies: they have ... likable personalities but each has made his reputation as a heavy" (David Pauly).

3. Astronomy The angular deviation, as observed from the sun, of a planet from its perihelion.

a·nom′a·lis′tic adj.

a·nom′a·lis′ti·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

anomaly

(əˈnɒməlɪ)

n, pl -lies

1. something anomalous

2. deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregularity

3. (Astronomy) deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregularity

4. (Astronomy) astronomy

a. Also called: true anomaly the angle between a planet, the sun, and the previous perihelion of the planet

b. Also called: eccentric anomaly the angle between the periapsis of a particular point on a circle round the orbit as seen from the centre of the orbit. This point is obtained by producing a perpendicular to the major axis of the ellipse through the orbiting body until it reaches the circumference of the circle

c. Also called: mean anomaly the angle between the periapsis of an orbit and the position of an imaginary body orbiting at a constant angular speed and in the same period as the real orbiting body

5. (Geological Science) geology

a. Also called: gravity anomaly a deviation from the normal value of gravity at the earth's surface, caused by density differences at depth, for example those caused by a buried mineral body

b. Also called: magnetic anomaly a magnetic field, for example one produced by a buried mineral body, that deviates from an expected or standard value, usually that of the earth's magnetic field

aˌnomaˈlistic, aˌnomaˈlistical adj

aˌnomaˈlistically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•nom•a•ly

(əˈnɒm ə li)

n., pl. -lies.

1. a deviation from the common type, rule, arrangement, or form; irregularity; abnormality.

2. someone or something anomalous.

3. an unexpected, unusual, or strange condition, situation, or quality.

4. Astron. a quantity measured in degrees, defining the position of an orbiting body with respect to the point at which it is nearest to or farthest from its primary.

[1565–75; < Latin < Greek]

a·nom·a·ly

(ə-nŏm′ə-lē)

Something that is unusual, irregular, or abnormal: Flooding is an anomaly in desert regions of Africa.

anomalous adjective

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	anomaly - deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule anomalousness birth defect, congenital abnormality, congenital anomaly, congenital defect, congenital disorder - a defect that is present at birth abnormalcy, abnormality - an abnormal physical condition resulting from defective genes or developmental deficiencies
	2.	anomaly - a person who is unusual unusual person individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" anachronism - a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age aberrant - one whose behavior departs substantially from the norm of a group albino - a person with congenital albinism: white hair and milky skin; eyes are usually pink automaton, zombi, zombie - someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way; "only an automaton wouldn't have noticed" eccentric, eccentric person, oddball, flake, geek - a person with an unusual or odd personality behemoth, colossus, goliath, monster, giant - someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful Jekyll and Hyde - someone with two personalities - one good and one evil kook, odd fellow, odd fish, odd man out, queer bird, queer duck - someone regarded as eccentric or crazy and standing out from a group misfit - someone unable to adapt to their circumstances rara avis, rare bird - a rare or unique person transexual, transsexual - a person who has undergone a sex change operation ugly duckling - an ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy person
	3.	anomaly - (astronomy) position of a planet as defined by its angular distance from its perihelion (as observed from the sun) astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole position, place - the particular portion of space occupied by something; "he put the lamp back in its place"

anomaly

noun irregularity, departure, exception, abnormality, rarity, inconsistency, deviation, eccentricity, oddity, aberration, peculiarity, incongruity Their wariness of opera is an anomaly in Europe.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

anomaly

noun

The condition of being abnormal:

aberrance, aberrancy, aberration, abnormality, deviance, deviancy, deviation, irregularity, preternaturalness, unnaturalness.

Translations

Anomalie

ανωμαλία

anomaliaepäsäännöllisyyspoikkeamapoikkeavapoikkeavuus

anomalie

anomalija

anomáliaeltérésrendellenességszabálytalanság

anomalia anomalo

abnormaliteit afwijking anomalie onregelmatigheid

anomaliavvikelse

anomaly

[əˈnɒməlɪ] N → anomalía f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

anomaly

[əˈnɒməli] n → anomalie f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

anomaly

n → Anomalie f; (in law etc) → Besonderheit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

anomaly

[əˈnɒməlɪ] n → anomalia

a·nom·a·ly

n. trastorno, anomalía, irregularidad contraída o congénita.

anomaly

n (pl -lies) anomalía; congenital — anomalía congénita

References in classic literature ?

Now as this law, under a modified form, is to this day in force in England; and as it offers in various respects a strange anomaly touching the general law of Fast and Loose-Fish, it is here treated of in a separate chapter, on the same courteous principle that prompts the English railways to be at the expense of a separate car, specially reserved for the accommodation of royalty.

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She had been made to break an accepted social law, but no law know to the environment in which she fancied herself such an anomaly.

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This, I confess, has been something of a surprise to me, and I have not yet made up my mind as to the fundamental cause of the anomaly. My determination to take up my abode in a French interior was largely dictated by the supposition that I should be substantially disagreeable to its inmates.

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"Isn't that rather an anomaly? The principles of Radicalism and aristocracy seem so divergent."

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As Professor Owen has remarked, there is no greater anomaly in nature than a bird that cannot fly; yet there are several in this state.

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"Curious anomaly, fantastic element!" said an ingenious naturalist, "in which the animal kingdom blossoms, and the vegetable does not!"

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A strange anomaly was La of Opar--a creature of circumstance torn by conflicting emotions.

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The following is the reason of this anomaly. Observers in the northern hemisphere

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It seemed a queer anomaly, that so gaunt and dismal a personage should take a toy in hand; a miracle, that the toy did not vanish in her grasp; a miserably absurd idea, that she should go on perplexing her stiff and sombre intellect with the question how to tempt little boys into her premises!

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Just as we often compare nations by their relative land areas, so if we compare these two worlds in the same way we have the strange anomaly of a larger world within a smaller one!

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It was that queer anomaly, a salt-water tribe that lived on the lagoon mainland where only bushmen were supposed to live.

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Within sixty days that quaint and bizarre anomaly, the Royal Grant, would cease to be a living fact, and take its place among the curiosities of the past.