terminal velocity

American  

noun

1. Physics.

   1. the velocity at which a falling body moves through a medium, as air, when the force of resistance of the medium is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force of gravity.

   2. the maximum velocity of a body falling through a viscous fluid.

2. Rocketry, Ballistics.

   1. the greatest speed that a rocket, missile, etc., attains after burnout or after leaving the barrel of a gun.

   2. the speed of a missile or projectile on impact with its target.

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terminal velocity British  

noun

1. the constant maximum velocity reached by a body falling under gravity through a fluid, esp the atmosphere

2. the velocity of a missile or projectile when it reaches its target

3. the maximum velocity attained by a rocket, missile, or shell flying in a parabolic flight path

4. the maximum velocity that an aircraft can attain, as determined by its total drag

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Example Sentences

At what point does a phone hit terminal velocity?

From Slate • Jan. 11, 2024

Small, heavy objects reach a higher terminal velocity than big, lightweight ones — think a baseball versus a piece of paper.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2024

In analyzing their data, they also discovered that fluctuations in the terminal velocity frequency distribution followed the same pattern.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2023

But this terminal velocity calculation does not explain the observations of the New York veterinarians: Why do cats seem to survive a fall from the seventh floor or higher better than from lower floors?

From Scientific American • Jul. 24, 2023

Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering orders of pizza, burgers, steaks, salads, Chinese food, and burritos, all flying at terminal velocity.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan