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Glite Dictionary
sonic barrier

sonic barrier

1 8.1
A sudden increase in air resistance when a plane nears the speed of sound
  • noun
  • /ˈsɒnɪk ˈbæriər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : barrera sónica
  • Engineers studied the sonic barrier to improve aircraft performance at high speeds.

Examples

  • - The sonic barrier, sir.

    War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave (2008)

  • The pilot skillfully maneuvered the aircraft as it approached the sonic barrier during the test flight.

  • Reaching the sonic barrier caused the plane to experience unexpected turbulence.

Synonyms

sound barrier
vssonic barrier
  • Specialized
6 5.7

The point near the speed of sound when a plane feels a sudden push and strong vibration

focuses on the sudden rise in aerodynamic drag as speed approaches Mach 1

Surface Forms

sonic barrier singular
sonic barriers plural

Morphology

sonic + barrier

The phrase is compositionally built: 'sonic' (relating to the speed of sound) modifies 'barrier' (an obstacle), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an obstacle encountered at or near sound speed. While the precise technical detail about aerodynamic drag is specialist, the general idea of an obstacle to surpassing the speed of sound is transparent and cross-linguistically accessible.

Etymology

Sonic barrier comes from the image of an invisible wall in the air: sonic means about sound and barrier means a wall. Pilots felt their planes hit that 'wall' as they neared the 'speed of sound', facing extra air resistance and loss of control, so the phrase now describes the sudden rise in drag and handling problems near that speed.