buoyancy

American  

[boi-uhn-see, boo-yuhn-see] / ˈbɔɪ ən si, ˈbu yən si /

Also buoyance

noun

1. the power to float or rise in a fluid; relative lightness.

2. the power of supporting a body so that it floats; upward pressure exerted by the fluid in which a body is immersed.

3. lightness or resilience of spirit.

   Student well-being and buoyancy are especially important because of the relatively high incidence of depression and suicide.

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buoyancy British  

/ ˈbɔɪənsɪ /

noun

1. the ability to float in a liquid or to rise in a fluid

2. the property of a fluid to exert an upward force (upthrust) on a body that is wholly or partly submerged in it

3. the ability to recover quickly after setbacks; resilience

4. cheerfulness

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buoyancy Scientific  

/ boi′ən-sē /

1. The upward force that a fluid exerts on an object that is less dense than itself. Buoyancy allows a boat to float on water and provides lift for balloons.

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buoyancy Cultural  

1. The force that causes objects to float. According to the principle of Archimedes, when a solid is placed in a fluid (a liquid or a gas), it is subject to an upward force equal in magnitude to the weight of the fluid it has displaced.

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Other Word Forms

• nonbuoyancy noun

Etymology

Origin of buoyancy

First recorded in 1705–15; buoy(ant) + -ancy

Example Sentences

An audio reader daren’t go flat, for fear of droning on and boring the listener, but as this audiobook shows, excessive buoyancy also carries a risk.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s easily the best song on the album, and provides a rare moment of buoyancy.

From The Wall Street Journal

The gourd was used as a buoyancy aid and a place to put the catch.

From BBC

Markets elsewhere, bereft of megacap tech buoyancy, failed to keep pace.

From Barron's

The ensemble’s playful insouciance maintains the production’s buoyancy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• elasticity
• resilience