definitions

elastic limit

noun Physics.

the greatest stress that can be applied to an elastic body without causing permanent deformation.

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Nearby words

elastic deformation, elastic fiber, elastic lamella, elastic lamina of cornea, elastic layer of cornea, elastic limit, elastic membrane, elastic modulus, elastic rebound, elastic scattering, elastic skin

Origin of elastic limit

First recorded in 1860–65
Also called limit of proportionality, proportional limit.

Definition for limit-proportionality (2 of 2)

limit of proportionality

noun Physics.

elastic limit.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for limit-proportionality

elastic limit

noun

the greatest stress that can be applied to a material without causing permanent deformation
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

Science definitions for limit-proportionality

elastic limit

The stress point at which a material, if subjected to higher stress, will no longer return to its original shape. Brittle materials tend to break at or shortly past their elastic limit, while ductile materials deform at stress levels beyond their elastic limit.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.