Couette flow

[koo-et]

noun

Mechanics.

1. the flow of a fluid between two surfaces that have tangential relative motion, as of a liquid between two coaxial cylinders that have different angular velocities.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Couette flow¹

< French couette, literally, feather bed (in machinery, a bearing). See quilt

Example Sentences

The bill's role also makes hummingbirds unique among animals by relying on two types of fluid collection and transport methods: the lapping mechanism -- formally known as Couette flow -- which animals like dogs and cats use to drink, and Poiseuille flow, a suction-driven mechanism used, for example, by mosquitoes drinking blood or by humans drinking through a straw.

Read more on Science Daily