Verb: perturb pu(r)'turb
- Disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
"She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill";
- unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark [archaic], distract, disorder
- Throw into great confusion or disorder
"Fundamentalists threaten to perturb the social order";
- derange, throw out of kilter
- Cause a celestial body to deviate from a theoretically regular orbital motion, especially as a result of interposed or extraordinary gravitational pull
"The orbits of these stars were perturbed by the passings of a comet"
- Disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom
"The electrons were perturbed by the passing ion"
Derived forms: perturbed, perturbs, perturbing
Type of: deviate, disarray, disorder, disturb, divert, trouble, upset
Encyclopedia: Perturb