field of force
1
8.2
- noun
- Specialized
- The physicist explained how the field of force around the magnet can attract metal objects from a distance.
Examples
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In the experiment, we observed the field of force emitted by the charged particles influencing the surrounding environment.
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The concept of a field of force is crucial for understanding how gravitational and electromagnetic interactions occur.
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Or, to change the figure, total science is like a field of force whose boundary conditions are experience.
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Synonyms
573
7.0
A space where a particular force or value acts
78
4.0
An area around a magnet or electric current where a magnet's force moves objects
14
3.9
An area around a charged object that pushes or pulls other small charged things
10
4.6
The space around a planet or other object that pulls things toward it
1
6.3
An area around an object where it pushes or pulls other objects
1
7.4
An area around electric charges that pushes or pulls other charges
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'field' (a region or space) with 'force' (power that acts on objects): it denotes the region in which a force operates. The linking preposition 'of' is grammatical only, and the same compositional pattern exists in other languages (e.g. Spanish 'campo de fuerza'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Field of force comes from the image of an object surrounded by an invisible push or pull that spreads out like a field; the word field shows the area and force is the push or pull. So, it means 'the area where an object's push or pull can affect other things without touching them'.