sonic boom

SEE SYNONYMS FOR sonic boom ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a loud noise caused by the shock wave generated by an aircraft moving at supersonic speed.

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Origin of sonic boom

First recorded in 1950–55

Words nearby sonic boom

songwriter, soni-, sonia, sonic, sonic barrier, sonic boom, sonic depth finder, sonication, sonics, soniferous, sonification
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for sonic boom

sonic boom

noun

a loud explosive sound caused by the shock wave of an aircraft, etc, travelling at supersonic speed
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

Scientific definitions for sonic boom

sonic boom

A shock wave of compressed air caused by an aircraft traveling faster than the speed of sound. It is often audible as a loud, explosive sound, and it sometimes causes damage to structures on the ground.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for sonic boom

sonic boom

See boom, sonic.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.