plural agitations
Definition of agitation
1
: the act or an instance of agitating something : a moving back and forth or with an irregular, rapid, or violent action
In candy making, this agitation usually consists of working the chocolate back and forth on a marble surface with a large scraper.— Rose Levy Beranbaum The technology is based on the controlled agitation of concentrated ore particles with precisely determined amounts of acid.— Corale L. Brierley
2
: a state or feeling of being agitated and restless
nervous agitation Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation.— Arthur Conan Doyle She sat some time in a good deal of agitation, listening, trembling, and fearing to be sent for every moment …— Jane Austen
: a state of excessive psychomotor activity accompanied by increased tension and irritability
… characterized by prominent agitation, irritability, and delusions …— Oliver Freudenreich et al. Propranolol and other beta-blockers suppress physical symptoms of agitation and anxiety by slowing down the sympathetic nervous system. — The Harvard Mental Health Letter
3
: a persistent and sustained attempt to arouse public feeling or influence public opinion (as by appeals, discussions, or demonstrations)
political agitation … makes it clear that this assertive attitude of black women was essential during the agitation for civil rights.— Gloria Naylor
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for agitation
The first known use of agitation was in 1547
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