deformation

[dee-fawr-mey-shuhn, def-er-]

noun

1. the act of deforming; deform; distortion; disfigurement.

2. the result of deforming; deform; change of form, especially for the worse.

3. an altered form.

4. Geology, Mechanics.,  a change in the shape or dimensions of a body, resulting from stress; strain.

Other Word Forms

• deformational adjective
• nondeformation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deformation¹

1400–50; late Middle English deformacioun < Latin dēfōrmātiōn- (stem of dēfōrmātiō ), equivalent to dēfōrmāt ( us ) (past participle of dēfōrmāre; deform ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

The claim relates to deformation of the ship's hull, which has required months of remedial work.

From BBC

And governing body the FIA has introduced tougher tests for China after analysing footage from cameras aimed at studying rear wing deformation in Melbourne.

From BBC

The liquid flow of the outer core as well as pull from an uneven gravity field may cause deformation.

From BBC

A material with this sensitivity could be valuable for engineering applications in which large-scale forces need to be measured, as in monitoring building deformations, or in biological research to characterize forces in cells.

From Science Daily

“There would be earthquakes galore and ground deformation. It wouldn’t be a single feature that had an explosion — there would be changes all over the place.”

From Los Angeles Times

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