momentum

mo·men·tum

noun \mō-ˈmen-təm, mə-\

plural mo·men·ta \-ˈmen-tə\ or momentums

Definition of MOMENTUM

1

: a property of a moving body that the body has by virtue of its mass and motion and that is equal to the product of the body's mass and velocity; broadly : a property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force or moment

2

: strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events

Examples of MOMENTUM

1. The company has had a successful year and hopes to maintain its momentum by introducing new products.
2. The movie loses momentum toward the end.

Origin of MOMENTUM

New Latin, from Latin, movement

First Known Use: 1610

Related to MOMENTUM

Synonyms

boost, encouragement, goad, impetus, incentive, incitation, incitement, instigation, impulse, motivation, provocation, spur, stimulant, stimulus, yeast

Antonyms

counterincentive, disincentive

Related Words

inducement, invitation; antecedent, cause, consideration, grounds, motive, occasion, reason; catalyst, catalyzer, fuel, spark

Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum

Rhymes with MOMENTUM

cementum, omentum, per centum, tegmentum, tomentum

mo·men·tum

noun \mō-ˈment-əm, mə-ˈment-\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural ; mo·men·ta \-ˈment-ə\ (audio pronunciation)or ; momentums

Medical Definition of MOMENTUM

: a property of a moving body that the body has by virtue of its mass and motion and that is equal to the product of the body's mass and velocity; broadly : a property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force

momentum

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Product of the mass of a particle and its velocity. Newton's second law of motion states that the rate of change of momentum is proportional to the force acting on the particle. Albert Einstein showed that the mass of a particle increases as its velocity approaches the speed of light. At the speeds treated in classical mechanics, the effect of speed on the mass can be neglected, and changes in momentum are the result of changes in velocity alone. If a constant force acts on a particle for a given time, the product of the force and the time interval, the impulse, is equal to the change in momentum. For any array of several objects, the total momentum is the sum of the individual momenta. See also angular momentum.