wind tunnel

American  

[wind] / wɪnd /

noun

Aeronautics.

1. 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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wind tunnel British  

/ wɪnd /

noun

1. a chamber for testing the aerodynamic properties of aircraft, aerofoils, etc, in which a current of air can be maintained at a constant velocity

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wind tunnel Scientific  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of wind tunnel

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

That geography turns the valley into a natural wind tunnel.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

Now, she is a wind tunnel systems engineer with the Williams F1 team.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

And they are starting work with a new wind tunnel and driver-in-the-loop simulator, about which Newey was pretty disparaging last spring.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Now that we’re through the wind tunnel of adolescence, I’m happy to share them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

It stood in a crease of land where the desert ended and the mountain began, forming a wind tunnel.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls