entrainment

American  

[en-treyn-muhnt] / ɛnˈtreɪn mənt /

noun

1. the act or fact of trapping bubbles in a liquid.

   A notorious problem in some ink-jet printing systems is the entrainment of tiny air bubbles in the ink during operation.

2. the act or fact of being drawn into a current or flow.

   Fish screens have proven reliable at preventing fish entrainment into watercourses diverted for agricultural use.

3. the synchronization of different rhythmic cycles that interact with each other.

   In individuals with sleep-wake disorder, continued treatment with medication was required to maintain entrainment of the circadian rhythms of melatonin and cortisol in the body.

4. Chemistry. the carrying along of a substance in a moving fluid, as drops of liquid in a vapor during evaporation or distillation.

   The research studies the physical processes determining droplet entrainment in turbulent gas flow over a liquid layer in pipes and channels.

5. Meteorology. the transfer of air from the surrounding atmosphere into an organized air current.

   During a hurricane the temperatures in the upper atmosphere depend partly on the entrainment of drier or cooler air from outside the vortex.

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Etymology

Origin of entrainment

First recorded in 1830–40, for an earlier sense; from French entraînement, equivalent to entrain ² ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

Las Vegas Raiders games are not for the children because it’s pure adult entrainment and Allegiant Stadium has a decided edge to it.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2021

The restoration and remaster in 4K was supervised by director Mr. Landis, and the result makes for an essential part of a home entrainment owner’s library.

From Washington Times • Dec. 3, 2020

The researchers were interested in entrainment, a natural phenomenon in which two oscillating systems match their periods and phases after a period of time.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2019

"The entrainment is not the inevitable. Just because you get a boost in delta brainwave activity doesn’t mean that you will be asleep."

From The Verge • Jul. 1, 2016

These vibrations result in something called entrainment, where our bodies try to sync up with the tempo of the music.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin