Definitions

1. verb

to disturb or disquiet (someone or something)

“The news of the impending layoff started to perturbate the employees.”

2. verb

to cause (something, especially a physical system) to become unstable or deviate from a regular or expected course

“The perturbation in the magnetic field caused the compass to malfunction.”

3. noun

a state of being disturbed or unstable

“The perturbation caused by the noise made it difficult for her to focus.”