supersonic
/ˌsuːpəˈsɒnɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsuːpərˈsɑːnɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌsü-pər-ˈsä-nik/ (ame, mw)
supersonic — adjective
- supersonicpositive
- more supersoniccomparative
- most supersonicsuperlative
1. Describes an object or movement that goes faster than sound can travel through t
Describes an object or movement that goes faster than sound can travel through the surrounding air — for example, a plane moving at more than about 1,230 kilometres per hour.
The new fighter jet can travel at supersonic speeds.
supersonic + speed / supersonic + jet collocation
Mei's father worked on the design of a supersonic passenger plane in the 1990s.
Supersonic flights over cities are banned because the noise disturbs people below.
Dr. Okonkwo explained how supersonic aircraft create a shock wave as they accelerate.
A supersonic boom can shake buildings and even break windows near the flight path.
- hypersonic
refers to speeds five or more times the speed of sound, a narrower and more extreme range
- subsonic
describes speeds slower than the speed of sound, the opposite end of the speed spectrum
文法句型
supersonic + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
Commonly placed before a noun such as 'speed', 'flight', 'aircraft', 'jet', or 'boom'. Do not confuse with 'ultrasonic', which describes high-frequency sound waves used in medical imaging rather than speed.
常見錯誤
supersonic — noun
1. A shock wave or pressure front that moves through a solid, liquid, or gas faster
A shock wave or pressure front that moves through a solid, liquid, or gas faster than sound can travel through the same substance.
Engineers detected a supersonic racing through a steel pipe at over 5,000 metres per second.
Special microphones can record supersonics produced during rocket launches.
often used in plural: supersonics
The earthquake created supersonics that travelled through the ground ahead of the main shock.
Sensors on the wind tunnel walls captured supersonics from a model rocket.
- shock wave
a specific type of supersonic wave created by an object moving faster than sound, with a sudden pressure change
文法句型
the + supersonic
supersonics + verb (plural)
用法筆記
Rare in everyday conversation. Appears mainly in physics and engineering texts describing shock waves or pressure fronts. Often used in the plural form 'supersonics'.
常見錯誤
2. An aircraft that is designed to fly at speeds greater than the speed of sound —
An aircraft that is designed to fly at speeds greater than the speed of sound — for example, a military jet or a commercial plane that can cross oceans faster than ordinary planes.
The Concorde was the most famous supersonic to carry passengers across the Atlantic.
most + supersonic (superlative usage)
Javier plans to fly from London to New York on a new supersonic next year.
A supersonic crossing the Pacific burns three times the fuel of a standard Boeing 777.
Nina took photos of the old military supersonic at the aviation museum.
- supersonic jet
a more specific term that highlights the jet-engine design of most supersonic aircraft
- subsonic aircraft
an airplane that flies slower than the speed of sound, which covers the vast majority of commercial planes
文法句型
a + supersonic
the + supersonic
fly on a supersonic