erratic

erratic
—erratically, adv. —erraticism, n.
/i rat"ik/, adj.
1. deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion; eccentric; queer: erratic behavior.
2. having no certain or definite course; wandering; not fixed: erratic winds.
3. Geol. noting or pertaining to a boulder or the like carried by glacial ice and deposited some distance from its place of origin.
4. (of a lichen) having no attachment to the surface on which it grows.
n.
5. an erratic or eccentric person.
6. Geol. an erratic boulder or the like.
[1325-75; ME < L erraticus, equiv. to errat(us) (ptp. of errare to ERR) + -icus -IC]
Syn. 1. unpredictable, unstable, capricious.
Ant. 1. consistent, regular, stable.

* * *

      glacier-transported rock fragment that differs from the local bedrock. Erratics may be embedded in till or occur on the ground surface and may range in size from pebbles to huge boulders weighing thousands of tons. The distance of transportation may range from less than 1 km (0.6 mile) to more than 800 km (500 miles); those transported over long distances generally consist of rock resistant to the shattering and grinding effects of glacial transport. Erratics composed of unusual and distinctive rock types can be traced to their source of origin and serve as indicators of the direction of glacial movement. Studies making use of such indicator erratics have provided information on the general origins and flow paths of the major ice sheets and on the locations of important mineral deposits. Erratics played an important part in the initial recognition of the last ice age and its extent. Originally thought to be transported by gigantic floods or by ice rafting, erratics were first explained in terms of glacial transport by the Swiss-American naturalist and geologist J.L.R. Agassiz in 1840.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?
Synonyms:
, , , / , / , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • erratic — er‧rat‧ic [ɪˈrætɪk] adjective having no pattern or plan, making it difficult to know what is going to happen: • Erratic currency markets led to intervention by the major central banks. • the erratic performance of exports * * * erratic UK US… …   Financial and business terms

  • Erratic — Er*rat ic, a. [L. erraticus, fr. errare to wander: cf. F. erratique. See {Err}.] 1. Having no certain course; roving about without a fixed destination; wandering; moving; hence, applied to the planets as distinguished from the fixed stars. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Erratic — can refer to: *glacial erratic *erratic ant …   Wikipedia

  • erratic — [i rat′ik] adj. [ME erratik < OFr erratique < L erraticus, wandering < pp. of errare: see ERR] 1. having no fixed course or purpose; irregular; random; wandering 2. deviating from the normal, conventional, or customary course; eccentric; …   English World dictionary

  • Erratic — Er*rat ic, n. 1. One who deviates from common and accepted opinions; one who is eccentric or preserve in his intellectual character. [1913 Webster] 2. A rogue. [Obs.] Cockeram. [1913 Webster] 3. (Geol.) Any stone or material that has been borne… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • erratic — index anomalous, astray, broken (interrupted), capricious, desultory, disjointed, eccentric, inconsisten …   Law dictionary

  • erratic — (adj.) late 14c., wandering, moving, from O.Fr. erratique (13c.) and directly from L. erraticus wandering, straying, roving, from erratum an error, mistake, fault, pp. of errare to wander, err (see ERR (Cf. err)). Sense of irregular, eccentric is …   Etymology dictionary

  • erratic — eccentric, odd, queer, *strange, singular, peculiar, unique, quaint, outlandish, curious Analogous words: aberrant, *abnormal, atypical: irregular, unnatural, anomalous: capricious, fickle, mercurial, inconstant Contrasted words: normal, *regular …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • erratic — [adj] unpredictable; wandering aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, arbitrary, bizarre, capricious, changeable, desultory, devious, dicey, directionless, dubious, eccentric, fitful, flaky*, fluctuant, idiosyncratic, iffy*, incalculable, inconsistent,… …   New thesaurus

  • erratic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ not even or regular in pattern or movement. DERIVATIVES erratically adverb erraticism noun …   English terms dictionary

  • erratic — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin erraticus, from erratus, past participle of errare Date: 14th century 1. a. having no fixed course ; wandering < an erratic comet > b. archaic nomadic …   New Collegiate Dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”