Definition of ground effect
1
: the apparent increase in aerodynamic lift experienced by an aircraft when flying near the ground and observed up to a distance above the ground approximately equal to the wing span
2
: a down force exerted on a racing car by special design features (such as winglike airfoils) that enables it to achieve higher speeds through turns before starting to skid
—often used in plural
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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