turbulence
[tur-byuh-luh ns]
- 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.
Origin of turbulence
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
turmoil, disturbance, confusion, unrest, tumult, instability, conflict, frenzy, commotion, unruliness, agitation, fury, bluster, havoc, fight, uproar, fracas, disorderExamples from the Web for turbulence
Contemporary Examples
Turbulence begins, and the only thing in the world we want is to not be on this damn plane.
I saw two fold-out seats used by flight attendants during takeoff, landing and turbulence.
There is also the vital and complex relationship with China during a time of turbulence and transition.
He concluded that turbulence, and possibly icing, “created the initial problem that led to a failure cascade.”
When the turbulence starts I can almost cry, because for me that would be the worst way to die.
Historical Examples
At any rate, we have ample evidence of the turbulence of the early Roman audience.
The Dramatic Values in PlautusWilton Wallace Blancke
In such a case the turbulence of Boston might have been proved.
The Siege of BostonAllen French
He holds the South Carolina turbulence too much in contempt.
Memoir of the Life of John Quincy Adams.Josiah Quincy
His tastes were not for the violence and turbulence of the popular house.
Albert GallatinJohn Austin Stevens
Love of daring, without love of learning, sinks into turbulence.
The Sayings Of ConfuciusConfucius
turbulence
rarely turbulency (ˈtɜːbjʊˌlənsɪ)
- 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
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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
Word Origin and History for turbulence
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.