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centrifugal

[ sen-trif-yuh-guhl, -uh-guhl ]
/ sɛnˈtrɪf yə gəl, -ə gəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR centrifugal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

moving or directed outward from the center (opposed to centripetal).
pertaining to or operated by centrifugal force: a centrifugal pump.
Physiology. efferent.

noun

Machinery.
  1. a machine for separating different materials by centrifugal force; a centrifuge.
  2. a rotating, perforated drum holding the materials to be separated in such a machine.

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Origin of centrifugal

1715–25; <New Latin centrifug(us) center-fleeing (centri-centri- + Latin -fugus, derivative of fugere to flee) + -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM centrifugal

cen·trif·u·gal·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH centrifugal

centrifugal , centripetal

Words nearby centrifugal

centri-acinar emphysema, centric, centric fusion, centriciput, centric occlusion, centrifugal, centrifugal box, centrifugal brake, centrifugal casting, centrifugal clutch, centrifugal force
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to centrifugal

deviating, divergent, eccentric, outward, radial, spiral, spreading, diffusive, diverging, efferent

Example sentences from the Web for centrifugal

British Dictionary definitions for centrifugal

centrifugal
/ (sɛnˈtrɪfjʊɡəl, ˈsɛntrɪˌfjuːɡəl) /

adjective

acting, moving, or tending to move away from a centreCompare centripetal
of, concerned with, or operated by centrifugal forcecentrifugal pump
botany (esp of certain inflorescences) developing outwards from a centre
physiol another word for efferent

noun

any device that uses centrifugal force for its action
the rotating perforated drum in a centrifuge

Derived forms of centrifugal

centrifugally, adverb

Word Origin for centrifugal

C18: from New Latin centrifugus, from centri- + Latin fugere to flee
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

Medical definitions for centrifugal

centrifugal
[ sĕn-trĭf′yə-gəl, -trĭf′ə- ]

adj.

Moving or directed away from a center or axis.
Transmitting nerve impulses away from the central nervous system; efferent.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for centrifugal

centrifugal
[ sĕn-trĭf′yə-gəl, -trĭf′ə- ]

Moving or directed away from a center or axis, usually as a result of being spun around the center or axis.
Operated in the manner of a centrifuge.
Transmitting nerve impulses away from the brain or spinal cord; efferent.
Developing or progressing outward from a center or axis, as in the growth of plant structures. For example, in a centrifugal inflorescence such as a cyme, the flowers in the center or tip open first while those on the edge open last. Compare centripetal.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.