shock absorber

American  

noun

Machinery.

shock absorbers plural

1. a device for damping sudden and rapid motion, as the recoil of a spring-mounted object from shock.

---

shock absorber British  

noun

1. any device designed to absorb mechanical shock, esp one fitted to a motor vehicle to damp the recoil of the suspension springs

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shock absorbers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shock absorber

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shock absorber

So the shock absorber works best for retirees with some cushion above their essential spending.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

For the past year, falling gasoline prices have acted as a shock absorber, offsetting an 11% year-over-year increase in the price of natural gas and 5% rise in electricity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

“We don’t have quite the shock absorber that we used to have,” Croft said in an interview.

From Barron's ● Jan. 14, 2026

Financial markets act like a shock absorber for investment.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2025

A good place to hide could be under the cars, up between the axles, balancing on a foot-wide iron shock absorber.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Related Words

• suspension system