FIXATION

fixation, fixing

(noun) (histology) the preservation and hardening of a tissue sample to retain as nearly as possible the same relations they had in the living body

fixation

(noun) the activity of fastening something firmly in position

obsession, fixation

(noun) an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

fixation (countable and uncountable, plural fixations)

The act of fixing.

The state of being fixed or fixated.

The act of uniting chemically with a solid substance or in a solid form; reduction to a non-volatile condition; -- said of volatile elements.

The act or process of ceasing to be fluid and becoming firm.

In metals, a state of resistance to evaporation or volatilization by heat.

A state of mind involving obsession with a particular person, idea, or thing.

(legal) Recording a creative work in a medium of expression for more than a transitory duration, thereby satisfying the "fixation" requirement for the purposes of copyright law.

(genetics) The change in a gene pool from a situation where there exists at least two variants of a particular gene (allele) to a situation where only one of the alleles remains.

Synonyms

• (state of being fixed): fixedness

Antonyms

• (act of fixing): movement, change

Source: Wiktionary

Fix*a"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fixation.]

1. The act of fixing, or the state of being fixed. An unalterable fixation of resolution. Killingbeck. To light, created in the first day, God gave no proper place or fixation. Sir W. Raleigh. Marked stiffness or absolute fixation of a joint. Quain. A fixation and confinement of thought to a few objects. Watts.

2. The act of uniting chemically with a solid substance or in a solid form; reduction to a non-volatile condition; -- said of gaseous elements.

3. The act or process of ceasing to be fluid and becoming firm. Glanvill.

4. A state of resistance to evaporation or volatilization by heat; -- said of metals. Bacon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition