hysteresis · noun — A property of a system such that an output value is not a strict function of the corresponding input, but also incorporates some lag, delay, or history dependence, and in particular when the response for a decrease in the input variable is different from the response for an increase. For example, a thermostat with a nominal setpoint of 75° might switch the controlled heat source on when the temperature drops below 74°, and off when it rises above 76°. It carries an Arena rating of 1432, earned across 15 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, hysteresis ranks #43 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #68 of 17,180 for Most Ingenious Words, #221 of 17,153 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #1,575 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words.
Why “hysteresis” is a great word
Hysteresis is the dependence of a system's state not only on its present conditions but on the history of its inputs, manifesting as a lag or distinct pathways for increasing versus decreasing forces. Coined in the 19th century by Sir James Alfred Ewing from Ancient Greek ὑστέρησις (hustérēsis, 'a coming short, deficiency, lagging behind'), from ὑστερέω (husteréō, 'I am late, fall short'), from ὕστερος (hústeros, 'later, following'). Unlike "lag," which denotes a simple temporal delay, or "elasticity," which implies a prompt and perfect return to an original state, hysteresis describes a system with a directional, path-dependent memory. It is the residual magnetism in iron after the external field is removed, the stubborn reluctance of a mattress to spring back after bearing weight all night, and the way a warped door never again fits its frame as it once did—a physical record of all the forces it has ever borne, a quiet testament that the journey irrevocably alters the destination.
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Etymology
Coined by Sir James Alfred Ewing from Ancient Greek ὑστέρησις (hustérēsis, “shortcoming”), from ὑστερέω (husteréō, “I am late, fall short”), from ὕστερος (hústeros, “later”). By surface analysis, hyster- (“higher, outer, latter, next”) + -esis.
noun
- A property of a system such that an output value is not a strict function of the corresponding input, but also incorporates some lag, delay, or history dependence, and in particular when the response for a decrease in the input variable is different from the response for an increase. For example, a thermostat with a nominal setpoint of 75° might switch the controlled heat source on when the temperature drops below 74°, and off when it rises above 76°.
- Magnetic friction in dynamos, by which every reversal of magnetism in the iron causes dissipation of energy.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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