fixation Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an abnormal state in which development has stopped prematurely
    infantile fixation; regression; arrested development.
  2. noun an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone
    obsession.
  3. noun the activity of fastening something firmly in position
  4. 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
    fixing.

WordNet

Fix*a"tion noun
Etymology
Cf. F. fixation.
Definitions
  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.

Webster 1913