wind tunnel
[ wind ]
/ wɪnd /
noun Aeronautics.
a tubular chamber or structure in which a steady current of air can be maintained at a controlled velocity, equipped with devices for measuring and recording forces and moments on scale models of complete aircraft or of their parts or, sometimes, on full-scale aircraft or their parts.
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We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
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Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of wind tunnel
An Americanism dating back to 1910–15
Words nearby wind tunnel
windsurfing, wind surge, wind-swept, wind tee, windtight, wind tunnel, wind turbine, windup, wind vane, windward, Windward Islands
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for wind tunnel
The best degree of fineness for any given velocity is found by means of wind-tunnel research.
The Aeroplane Speaks|H. BarberAnd when the last bolt had struck, the tide turned and rolled back down the wind-tunnel, a blinding river of living light.
A World is Born|Leigh Douglass BrackettThe best angles of incidence for these varying factors are found by means of wind-tunnel research and practical trial and error.
The Aeroplane Speaks|H. BarberDio staggered out of the wind-tunnel and sagged down beside Jill.
A World is Born|Leigh Douglass Brackett
British Dictionary definitions for wind tunnel
wind tunnel
/ (wɪnd) /
noun
a chamber for testing the aerodynamic properties of aircraft, aerofoils, etc, in which a current of air can be maintained at a constant velocity
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 wind tunnel
wind tunnel
A chamber through which air is blown at controlled speeds to simulate the motion of objects placed in the chamber through the air, used to study the aerodynamic properties of objects such as automobiles, airplanes, and missiles.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.