hypervelocity

American  

[hahy-per-vuh-los-i-tee] / ˌhaɪ pər vəˈlɒs ɪ ti /

noun

hypervelocities plural

1. extremely high velocity, as of projectiles, space vehicles, or accelerated nuclear particles.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hypervelocities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hypervelocity

First recorded in 1945–50; hyper- + velocity

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypervelocity

Many scientists believed Silverpit was created by a hypervelocity impact, the term used for collisions involving asteroids or comets traveling at several miles per second.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026

Tianwen-2’s samples would be hugely valuable for impact science, says hypervelocity impact physicist Angela Stickle of Johns Hopkins.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 19, 2024

"Its flight test, on a very demanding long-range trajectory, represented an unprecedented technical challenge that will pave the way for the future of our national hypervelocity roadmap," the agency said in a statement.

From Reuters ● Jun. 27, 2023

The report also states that “various interceptor programs” are underway for attacking enemy hypersonic missiles, including interceptor missiles, hypervelocity projectiles, directed-energy weapons and electronic attack systems.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 11, 2022

Instead, the Navy is pursuing an offshoot of the railgun, a hypervelocity projectile, that can be fired from existing gun systems.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 1, 2021