View synonyms for shock wave

shock wave

noun

a region of abrupt change of pressure and density moving as a wave front at or above the velocity of sound, caused by an intense explosion or supersonic flow over a body.
a repercussion from a startling event or upheaval; series of aftereffects:
shock waves from the recent collapse of one of the nation's largest banks.

shock wave

a region across which there is a rapid pressure, temperature, and density rise, usually caused by a body moving supersonically in a gas or by a detonation Often shortened toshock See also sonic boom shock tube
a feeling of shock, horror, surprise, etc that affects many people as it spreads through a community
the effect created on a queue of moving cars in the lane of a motorway when one car brakes suddenly and the cars behind have to brake as well, causing cars to slow down, sometimes for miles behind the first braking car

shock wave

A large-amplitude wave formed by the sudden compression of the medium through which the wave moves. Shock waves can be caused by explosions or by objects moving through a fluid at a speed greater than the speed of sound.

First recorded in 1945–50

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