thermal barrier
nounAeronautics, Rocketry.
the high temperatures produced by the friction between a supersonic object and the earth's atmosphere that limit the speed of an airplane or rocket.
Origin of thermal barrier
1First recorded in 1950–55
- Also called heat barrier.
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British Dictionary definitions for thermal barrier
thermal barrier
noun
an obstacle to flight at very high speeds as a result of the heating effect of air friction: Also called: heat barrier
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
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