SHOCK WAVE Definition & Meaning

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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

noun

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.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of shock wave¹

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It sent shock waves across the globe, with the markets taking a massive tumble and economic forecasters scrambling to revise upwards their predictions for a recession.

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In early February, Makoto Uchida, chief executive of Nissan, sent shock waves through Mexico when he suggested the Japanese automaker may be forced to move production elsewhere if Trump follows through on his tariff plan.

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The shift has sent shock waves across the Central Valley, where a largely immigrant workforce helps harvest a quarter of the food grown in the U.S.

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That atmospheric explosion “created a shock wave that resulted in about 1,500 injuries to people and a large amount of damage to buildings and houses,” according to the USGS.

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Until then, he said, “the raids sent shock waves through the entire Central Valley,” the breadbasket of California and of the entire country.

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