Diffraction and Variation

noun

• When light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands. .

(n.) The deflection and decomposition of light in passing by the edges of opaque bodies or through narrow slits, causing the appearance of parallel bands or fringes of prismatic colors, as by the action of a grating of fine lines or bars.

noun

• An instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change.
  • synonyms: fluctuation
• An activity that varies from a norm or standard.
  • usage: "any variation in his routine was immediately reported"
  • synonyms: variance
• A repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified or embellished.
• Something a little different from others of the same type.
  • usage: "an experimental version of the night fighter"; "a variant of the same word"; "an emery wheel is the modern variation of a grindstone"; "the boy is a younger edition of his father"
  • synonyms: version, variant, edition
• An artifact that deviates from a norm or standard.
  • usage: "he patented a variation on the sandal"
• The angle (at a particular location) between magnetic north and true north.
  • synonyms: magnetic declination, magnetic variation
• The process of varying or being varied.
• Astronomy) any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite (especially a perturbation of the earth's moon. ()
• Biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration.
  • synonyms: mutant, mutation, sport
• Ballet) a solo dance or dance figure.
  • synonyms: pas seul
• The act of changing or altering something slightly but noticeably from the norm or standard.
  • usage: "who is responsible for these variations in taxation"

• (n.) Extent to which a thing varies; amount of departure from a position or state; amount or rate of change.
• (n.) Change of termination of words, as in declension, conjugation, derivation, etc.
• (n.) The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state or qualities of a thing; modification; alternation; mutation; diversity; deviation; as, a variation of color in different lights; a variation in size; variation of language.
• (n.) One of the different arrangements which can be made of any number of quantities taking a certain number of them together.
• (n.) Repetition of a theme or melody with fanciful embellishments or modifications, in time, tune or harmony or sometimes change of key; the presentation of a musical thought in new and varied aspects, yet so that the essential features of the original shall still preserve their identity.

Variation is a change to any part of a loan contract.

(DoD) The angular difference between true and magnetic north. See also deviation.