sound barrier

American  

noun

1. Also called transonic barrier.  Also called sonic barrier.  (not in technical use) a hypothetical barrier to flight beyond the speed of sound, so postulated because aircraft undergo an abruptly increasing drag force induced by compression of the surrounding air when traveling near the speed of sound.

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idioms

1. break the sound barrier, to travel faster than the speed of sound.

sound barrier British  

noun

1. Also called: sonic barrier.   transonic barrier.  (not in technical usage) a hypothetical barrier to flight at or above the speed of sound, when a sudden large increase in drag occurs

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Etymology

Origin of sound barrier

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Turns out, it wasn’t a language barrier, it was a sound barrier.

From Los Angeles Times

Chief Executive Bryon Hargis said it isn’t the straightforward engineering of quintupling the sound barrier that has held the U.S. back, but the manufacturing challenge of mass-producing weapons that can do so reliably and economically.

From The Wall Street Journal

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 recently became the first civilian jet to break the sound barrier since the Concorde—a development watched closely by the football league as it considers launching franchises in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

He set a record for fastest free fall, descending 127,852 feet at 843.6 mph and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without the assistance of a vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times

And in Granbury, Texas, a 24ft-high sound barrier was erected in 2023 at a mining site after residents complained to public officials that the nonstop roar was keeping them awake and giving them migraines.

From BBC