deviate
/ˈdi.vi.eɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.06 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A value equal to the difference between a measured variable factor and a fixed or algorithmic reference value.
adj
Example Sentences
- "These two circumstances, however, happening both unfortunately to intervene, our travellers deviated into a much less frequented track; and after riding full six miles, instead of arriving at the stately spires of Coventry, they found themselves still in a very dirty lane, where they saw no symptoms of approaching the suburbs of a large city."
- "Thus Pegasus, a nearer way to take, / May boldly deviate from the common track."
- "Now listen to what you've got to do, and this time if you deviate a single hair or try any of your monkey tricks it's the deep end you'll go off at."
- "His exhibition of nude paintings deviated from the norm."
- "[…] Walton has suggested that it is desirable "to name the phenomena signs of deviation, and call their possessors deviates or a deviate as the case may be […]"
- "Under these conditions the person who appears as a deviate is a deviate only because we have chosen, somewhat arbitrarily, to call him a member of the court […]"
Etymology
From Late Latin dēviātus, perfect passive participle of dēviō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more. Compare French dévier.
Word Breakdown
- Root: dēviātus
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdi.vi.eɪt/
- British English: /ˈdiː.vi.eɪt/