centripetal

cen·trip·e·tal  (sn-trp-tl)

adj.

1. Moving or directed toward a center or axis.

2. Operated by means of centripetal force.

3. Physiology Transmitting nerve impulses toward the central nervous system; afferent.

4. Botany Developing or progressing inward toward the center or axis, as in the head of a sunflower, in which the oldest flowers are near the edge and the youngest flowers are in the center.

5. Tending or directed toward centralization: the centripetal effects of a homogeneous population.

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cen·tripe·tal·ly adv.

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centripetal [sent-rip-it-al]

Adjective

moving or tending to move towards a centre [Greek kentron centre + Latin petere to seek]

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centripetal  (sn-trp-tl)

1. Moving or directed toward a center or axis, particularly one around which an object is spinning.

2. Transmitting nerve impulses toward the brain or spinal cord; afferent.

3. Developing or progressing inward toward a center or axis, as in the growth of plant structures. For example, in the disk of the inflorescence of a sunflower, the florets near the edge open first, and the ones in the center last. Compare centrifugal.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	centripetal - tending to move toward a center; "centripetal force" centrifugal - tending to move away from a center; "centrifugal force"
	2.	centripetal - tending to unify unifying centralising, centralizing - tending to draw to a central point
	3.	centripetal - of a nerve fiber or impulse originating outside and passing toward the central nervous system; "sensory neurons" sensory, receptive afferent - of nerves and nerve impulses; conveying sensory information from the sense organs to the CNS; "afferent nerves"; "afferent impulses"