Advertisement
gravity (n.)
c. 1500, "weight, dignity, seriousness, solemnity of deportment or character, importance," from Old French gravité "seriousness, thoughtfulness" (13c.) and directly from Latin gravitatem (nominative gravitas) "weight, heaviness, pressure," from gravis "heavy" (from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy"). The scientific sense of "downward acceleration of terrestrial bodies due to gravitation of the Earth" first recorded 1620s.
The words gravity and gravitation have been more or less confounded; but the most careful writers use gravitation for the attracting force, and gravity for the terrestrial phenomenon of weight or downward acceleration which has for its two components the gravitation and the centrifugal force. [Century Dictionary, 1902]
also from c. 1500
Advertisement
Trends of gravity
updated on October 13, 2017
Advertisement
Remove ads >
AdvertisementTrending words
Dictionary entries near gravity
gravimeter
gravitas
gravitate
gravitation
gravitational
gravity
gravure
gravy
gray
graybeard
grayling