definitions

wind tunnel

[ wind ]
/ wɪnd /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wind tunnel ON THESAURUS.COM

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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Nearby words

wind shelf, wind ship, wind sprint, wind surge, wind tee, wind tunnel, wind turbine, wind up, wind vane, wind-bell, wind-borne

Origin of wind tunnel

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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. Barber

  • And 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 Brackett

  • The 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. Barber

  • Dio 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

Science 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.