Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

adiabatic

American  
[ad-ee-uh-bat-ik, ey-dahy-uh-] / ˌæd i əˈbæt ɪk, ˌeɪ daɪ ə- /

adjective

  1. occurring without gain or loss of heat (opposed to diabatic).

    an adiabatic process.


adiabatic British  
/ ˌeɪ-, ˌædɪəˈbætɪk /

adjective

  1. (of a thermodynamic process) taking place without loss or gain of heat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a curve or surface on a graph representing the changes in two or more characteristics (such as pressure and volume) of a system undergoing an adiabatic process

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
adiabatic Scientific  
/ ăd′ē-ə-bătĭk /
  1. Occurring without gain or loss of heat. When a gas is compressed under adiabatic conditions, its pressure increases and its temperature rises without the gain or loss of any heat. Conversely, when a gas expands under adiabatic conditions, its pressure and temperature both decrease without the gain or loss of heat. The adiabatic cooling of air as it rises in the atmosphere is the main cause of cloud formation.


Other Word Forms

  • adiabatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of adiabatic

1875–80; < Greek adiábat ( os ) incapable of being crossed ( a- a- 6 + dia- dia- + ba- (stem of baínein to cross) + -tos verbal adjective suffix) + -ic; cf. diabatic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, when COPs involve constraints, conventional quantum algorithms like adiabatic quantum annealing struggle to obtain a near-optimal solution within the operation time of quantum computers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

"This provides a fast and high-fidelity quantum control method. Our results may also be useful to accelerate other adiabatic passage in quantum dots." corresponding author Akira Oiwa says.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

Furthermore, pseudogravity effects due to adiabatic changes have been observed in photonic crystals.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2023

Paths AB and CD are adiabatic and correspond to the compression and power strokes of an internal combustion engine, respectively.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Here’s a reduction-valve with an adiabatic expansion feature, to supply extra air to your heat-suit.

From Sand Doom by Leinster, Murray