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turbulence
[ tur-byuh-luhns ]
/ ˈtɜr byə ləns /
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noun
the quality or state of being turbulent; violent disorder or commotion.
Hydraulics. the haphazard secondary motion caused by eddies within a moving fluid.
Meteorology. irregular motion of the atmosphere, as that indicated by gusts and lulls in the wind.
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Sometimes tur·bu·len·cy .
Words nearby turbulence
turbo-ramjet engine, turboshaft, turbosupercharger, turbot, turbotrain, turbulence, turbulent, turbulent flow, Turco-, Turcoman, Turcophile
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use turbulence in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for turbulence
turbulence
rarely turbulency (ˈtɜːbjʊˌlənsɪ)
/ (ˈtɜːbjʊləns) /
noun
a state or condition of confusion, movement, or agitation; disorder
meteorol local instability in the atmosphere, oceans, or rivers
turbulent flow in a liquid or gas
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 turbulence
turbulence
[ tûr′byə-ləns ]
Chaotic or unstable eddying motion in a fluid. Avoiding excessive turbulence generated around moving objects (such as airplanes), which can make their motion inefficient and difficult to control, is a major factor in aerodynamic design.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.