Dictionary entries for 'dislocation'

Synonyms

dis·lo·ca·tion (dĭślō-kā́shən)

noun

The act or process of dislocating or the state of having been dislocated: “the severe emotional dislocation experienced by millions of immigrants . . . who were forced to separate themselves forever from the . . . circle of people and places on which they had depended” (Doris Kearns Goodwin)
Displacement of a body part, especially the temporary displacement of a bone from its normal position.
Chemistry An imperfection in the crystal structure of a metal or other solid resulting from an absence of an atom or atoms in one or more layers of a crystal.
Geology See displacement

dis·place·ment (dĭs-plāśmənt)

1. The act of displacing.
2. The condition of having been displaced.
Chemistry A reaction in which an atom, radical, or molecule replaces another in a compound.
Physics
1. A vector or the magnitude of a vector from the initial position to a subsequent position assumed by a body.
2. The weight or volume of a fluid displaced by a floating body, used especially as a measurement of the weight or bulk of ships.
The volume displaced by a single stroke of a piston in an engine or pump.
Geology
1. The relative movement between the two sides of a fault.
2. The distance between the two sides of a fault. Also called dislocation
Psychiatry A psychological defense mechanism in which there is an unconscious shift of emotions, affect, or desires from the original object to a more acceptable or immediate substitute.