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rock mechanics

British

noun

(functioning as singular) the study of the mechanical behaviour of rocks, esp their strength, elasticity, permeability, porosity, density, and reaction to stress

"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

Example Sentences

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Apart from their practical classes, the students, aged 18 to 35, also learn the basics of geology, rock mechanics, maths and English.

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

A search of the academy's membership using the key word “landslide” turned up three names: a seismologist, a geophysicist specializing in theoretical rock mechanics, and a geologist specializing in biological forces shaping landscapes.

From Scientific American • Apr. 20, 2023

Engineers specializing in rock mechanics, such as McKinnon, also try to design mines in such a way as to minimize and control the forces exerted on the rock.

From Nature • Mar. 13, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023