subsonic

CEFRB1

/ˈsʌbˈsɑnɪk/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Moving or operating slower than the speed of sound.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    (aviation) less than the speed of sound (in the same medium, and at the same temperature and pressure)

Examples

  • Rotating machines are essential in subsonic aeronautical propulsion.

  • Subsonic means relating to a speed that is less than sound.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
1

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. very quiet, almost inaudible

  2. having a frequency too low to be audible

  3. with a Mach number such that 0.3 < Ma < 0.8 (approximately - the exact limits vary between sources)

More examples

In context

  • The plane flew at a mostly subsonic speed during the trip.

  • The noise of the ship was all around her. The faint subsonic rumble of the reactor and drive. (Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Corey)

  • But British Airways Flight 112 made the trek in under five hours, setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The aircraft flew at a blank speed to avoid creating a sonic boom.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From sub- + sonic.