convection
Physics. the transfer of heat by the circulation or movement of the heated parts of a liquid or gas.
Meteorology. the vertical transport of atmospheric properties, especially upward (distinguished from advection).
the act of conveying or transmitting.
Origin of convection
1Other words from convection
- con·vec·tion·al, adjective
Words Nearby convection
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use convection in a sentence
The physics of the design itself has been around for much longer than that—they’re essentially a refined design of the traditional convection oven.
Water vapor and air constantly circulate in turbulent convection currents.
Explainer: Our atmosphere — layer by layer | Beth Geiger | December 1, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThat convection cycle puts Betelgeuse on a semiregular dimmer switch that fluctuates roughly every 400 days or so.
Betelgeuse went dark, but didn’t go supernova. What happened? | Lisa Grossman | November 29, 2020 | Science NewsThe star’s temperature hadn’t dropped as much as would be expected if the dimming was from something intrinsic to the star, like its convection cycles, the pair reported in the March 10 Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Betelgeuse went dark, but didn’t go supernova. What happened? | Lisa Grossman | November 29, 2020 | Science NewsThe convection technology in air fryers allows you to roast, bake, and even dehydrate your favorite foods.
Air fryers that will revolutionize your kitchen | PopSci Commerce Team | October 28, 2020 | Popular-Science
The bag may be called a "convection shield," slowing convection-cooling due to air currents.
The BYU Solar Cooker/Cooler | Steven E. JonesThis mode of propagation may better be described as a convection of excitation.
Life Movements in Plants | Sir Jagadis Chunder BoseThis is illustrated by the seasonal variation in convection.
Climatic Changes | Ellsworth HuntingtonIn summer, when the gradient is steepest, convection reaches its maximum.
Climatic Changes | Ellsworth HuntingtonIn the part BNA, the electricity is carried by a moving conductor; it is said to be displaced by convection.
British Dictionary definitions for convection
/ (kənˈvɛkʃən) /
a process of heat transfer through a gas or liquid by bulk motion of hotter material into a cooler region: Compare conduction (def. 1)
meteorol the process by which masses of relatively warm air are raised into the atmosphere, often cooling and forming clouds, with compensatory downward movements of cooler air
geology the slow circulation of subcrustal material, thought to be the mechanism by which tectonic plates are moved
Origin of convection
1Derived forms of convection
- convectional, adjective
- convective, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for convection
[ kən-vĕk′shən ]
Current in a fluid caused by uneven distribution of heat. For example, air on a part of the Earth's surface warmed by strong sunlight will be heated by contact with the ground and will expand and flow upward, creating a region of low pressure below it; cooler surrounding air will then flow in to this low pressure region. The air thus circulates by convection, creating winds. See Note at conduction.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for convection
The motion of warm material that rises, cools off, and sinks again, producing a continuous circulation of material and transfer of heat. Some examples of processes involving convection are boiling water, in which heat is transferred from the stove to the air; the circulation of the atmosphere of the Earth, transferring heat from the equator to the North Pole and South Pole; and plate tectonics, in which heat is transferred from the interior of the Earth to its surface.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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