turbulent flow

American  

noun

Hydraulics.

1. the flow of a fluid past an object such that the velocity at any fixed point in the fluid varies irregularly.

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turbulent flow British  

noun

1. flow of a fluid in which its velocity at any point varies rapidly in an irregular manner Compare laminar flow See also streamline flow

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turbulent flow Scientific  

/ tûr′byə-lənt /

1. Movement of a fluid in which subcurrents in the fluid display turbulence, moving in irregular patterns, while the overall flow is in one direction. Turbulent flow is common in nonviscous fluids moving at high velocities.

2. Compare laminar flow

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Etymology

Origin of turbulent flow

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does turbulent-flow compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• laminar flow vs. turbulent flow

Example Sentences

Puff jams tend to "melt" at the critical transition point from laminar to turbulent flow, giving way to the special statistical behavior of the directed percolation transition.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

However, building on their earlier work, the team showed that fluids move through a pipe in a non-equilibrium phase transition, known as directed percolation, at the transition point between laminar and turbulent flow.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

The turbulent flow punches a carrot-shaped pipe through the ground, ripping out chunks of deep subsurface rock, including some that are studded with diamonds.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2023

It turns out that a soccer ball’s drag coefficient is approximately 2.5 times larger for laminar flow than for turbulent flow.

From Scientific American • Nov. 19, 2022

She broke out into a triumph song in whose turbulent flow the words 'physique' and 'efficiency' came frequently rolling.

From Years of Plenty by Brown, Ivor