dislocation

1. (geology) The displacement of parts of rocks or portions of strata from the situation which they originally occupied.countableuncountable

2. (materials science) A linear defect in a crystal lattice. Because dislocations can shift within the crystal lattice, they tend to weaken the material, compared to a perfect crystal.countableuncountable

3. (grammar) A sentence structure in which a constituent that could otherwise be either an argument or an adjunct of a clause occurs outside of and adjacent to the clause boundaries.countableuncountable

4. (gymnastics, dance) In men's gymnastics, a rotating of the shoulders when performing a backwards turn on the still rings. Many skills in acrobatics appear to involve dislocating a joint, when they actually do not.Examples: "The practice of contortion can be divided into three categories: backbending, frontbending and dislocation."countableuncountable