sonic boom

American  

noun

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

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sonic boom British  

noun

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

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sonic boom Scientific  

1. 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.

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sonic boom ¹ Cultural  

1. See boom, sonic.

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boom, sonic ² Cultural  

1. The sharp, explosive sound generated by an airplane traveling at speeds greater than the speed of sound. The sonic boom follows the aircraft much like a wake follows a ship.

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Etymology

Origin of sonic boom

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Whenever a plane travels that fast, it creates a shock wave called a sonic boom that sounds like a loud clap of thunder.

From Literature

A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air, producing an explosive noise.

From BBC

Jennifer Savage, a representative of the Surfrider Foundation, said Space Force is planning to proceed with the increase without providing the biological monitoring, sonic boom modeling or mitigation tracking needed to assess impacts.

From Los Angeles Times

A loud boom and rattling were reported last month across a broad swath of the region due to a sonic boom from a SpaceX cargo vessel.

From Los Angeles Times

A sonic boom caused by a SpaceX cargo vessel rattled Los Angeles late Saturday evening.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• shock wave