microgravity

play

noun mi·cro·grav·i·ty \ -ˈgra-və-tē \

Definition of microgravity

:a condition in space in which only minuscule forces are experienced :virtual absence of gravity; broadly :a condition of weightlessness

See microgravity defined for kids

Recent Examples of microgravity from the Web

The large orbital laboratory offers private companies a chance to test business ideas in microgravity, serves as a testbed for astronaut health, and allows NASA to prove technologies for future missions into deep space.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX is launching a supercomputer to the International Space Station," 11 Aug. 2017
In that time, astronauts have walked on the moon and even endured more than a year in microgravity.

— korey haynes, Discover Magazine, "Everything Worth Knowing About ... Surviving Space," 26 June 2017
Many veteran travelers claim microgravity is the best mattress.

— NBC News, "How Space Travel Affects Our Health," 19 June 2017
The science gear includes, of all things, a number of fruit flies for an experiment aimed at improving our understanding of the effects on the heart of lengthy exposure to microgravity.

— trevor mogg, Fox News, "Welcome back! SpaceX's Dragon capsule makes history with second visit to ISS," 6 June 2017
The teams were given several experiment templates to choose from; the Stratford kids decided to test convection in microgravity and the spreading of heat.

— julia baum, The Mercury News, "Stratford middle schoolers launch their science project into space," 24 May 2017
Since then, the number of experiments conducted aboard the station has ballooned, and astronauts and cosmonauts spend their days studying how terrestrial science and technology works in microgravity.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "How to Sequence DNA in Space," 19 May 2017
Whitson closed the call by performing a forward flip in microgravity.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Astronaut Peggy Whitson Breaks NASA Record for Most Days in Space," 24 Apr. 2017
Yuri’s Night Bay Area is organized by Marcia Fiamengo, a microgravity scientist and nuclear engineer who has worked on water filtration systems used in the International Space Station.

— laura casey, The Mercury News, "Oakland: Yuri’s Night offers space networking, fun," 29 Mar. 2017

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

First Known Use of microgravity

1974

Learn More about microgravity

See words that rhyme with microgravity Britannica English: Translation of microgravity for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about microgravity

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up microgravity? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

microgravity

Definition of microgravity

Recent Examples of microgravity from the Web

First Known Use of microgravity

Learn More about microgravity

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

yeasty

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Silent Letters

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

microgravity

Definition of microgravity

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Recent Examples of microgravity from the Web

First Known Use of microgravity

Learn More about microgravity

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066