oscillation
n.the movement of something back and forth between two points or states. It is like a pendulum swinging or a sound wave moving through the air.
n.the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value or between two or more different states.
“The pendulum shows a steady oscillation.”
“The scientist observed the rapid oscillation of the light beam as it passed through the glass prism.”
“The system's stability is compromised by the rapid oscillation of its internal variables, which eventually leads to a complete failure of the mechanical components.”
“Further tests revealed that, in response to EMF exposure, Cyb5b produces rhythmic calcium influx oscillations in cells, functioning as a specific code for activating the target gene.”
“Its optical properties (e.g., reflectivity, resonance frequency) can be altered dynamically on picosecond timescales, close to the timescale of light's own oscillations.”
Common in science writing
From French oscillation, from Latin oscillatio, from Latin oscillo. By surface analysis, oscillate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.