cavitation

noun

cav·i·ta·tion ˌka-və-ˈtā-shən

: the process of cavitating: such as

: the formation of partial vacuums in a liquid by a swiftly moving solid body (such as a propeller) or by high-intensity sound waves

also : the pitting and wearing away of solid surfaces (as of metal or concrete) as a result of the collapse of these vacuums in surrounding liquid

: the formation of cavities in an organ or tissue especially in disease

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Boat propellers and turbine blades are often ruined by cavitation forces; mantis shrimps use them to crack the hard shells of their victims. —

Thomas Cronin, University Of Maryland, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2018 The event was simply the sound of bubbles in the synovial fluid between our joints collapsing, researchers concluded, the result of something called cavitation. —

Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2018 The fluid is pressurized to 50 psi to minimize cavitation. —

Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2022 Moore also brings up cavitation as a way of visualizing what is happening in the body. —

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, 8 June 2022 This, according to Castle, could send shock waves through the dam, a process known as cavitation that could cause enormous internal damage. —

Nick Bowlin, Outside Online, 4 May 2022 More liquid prevents cavitation in a blender, that annoying phenomenon when an air pocket forms above the blade and keeps it from coming in contact with the food. —

Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2020 Still, the process, called cavitation, could explain longer-range sound production as well, as Edward Farmer, a plant biologist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland who wasn’t involved in the study, tells Vaughan. —

Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 2 Dec. 2019 That hole in effect became a second bump in the concrete and spawned its own cycle of cavitation destruction. —

John D'anna, azcentral, 18 July 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cavitation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.