hypersonic
|hy-per-son-ic|
C1
🇺🇸
/ˌhaɪpərˈsɒnɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌhaɪpəˈsɒnɪk/
extremely fast
Etymology
Etymology Information
'hypersonic' originates from the Greek prefix 'hyper-' meaning 'over, beyond' and the word 'sonic' from Latin 'sonus' meaning 'sound'.
Historical Evolution
'hypersonic' was formed in the 20th century to describe speeds exceeding Mach 5, evolving from the earlier term 'supersonic'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'beyond sound', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'extremely high speeds exceeding Mach 5'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to speeds that are five times or more than the speed of sound in air.
The hypersonic missile can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/02/27 18:27