As of 2019, Starbucks opens a new store every 15 hours in China. The coffee chain has grown by 700% over the past decade.
PERTURB
perturb, derange, throw out of kilter
(verb) throw into great confusion or disorder; “Fundamentalists threaten to perturb the social order”
perturb, unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark, distract, disorder
(verb) 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”
perturb
(verb) 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”
perturb
(verb) disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom; “The electrons were perturbed by the passing ion”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
perturb (third-person singular simple present perturbs, present participle perturbing, simple past and past participle perturbed)
To disturb; to bother or unsettle.
(physics) To slightly modify the motion of an object.
(astronomy) To modify the motion of a body by exerting a gravitational force.
(mathematics) To modify slightly, such as an equation or value.
Source: Wiktionary
Per*turb", v. t. Etym: [L. perturbare, perturbatum; per + turbare to disturb, fr. turba a disorder: cf. OF. perturber. See Per-, and Turbid.]
1. To disturb; to agitate; to vex; to trouble; to disquiet. Ye that . . . perturb so my feast with crying. Chaucer.
2. To disorder; to confuse. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
31 May 2025
AMATORY
(adjective) expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance; “her amatory affairs”; “amorous glances”; “a romantic adventure”; “a romantic moonlight ride”
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