ETYM Latin aberratio: cf. French aberration. Related to Aberrate.
Deviation; momentary mental lapse; Astronomy, apparent deviation from heavenly body's true position due to movement of observer with the earth. chromatic aberration, focusing of light of different colors at different points resulting in a blurred image. spherical aberration, focusing at different points of rays passing through different parts of spherical lens.
1. An abnormal instance of something; an anomaly.
2. A disorder in one's mental state.
3. An optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; SYN. distortion, optical aberration.