shock tube

noun

: a usually enclosed tube in which experimental shock waves are produced as a result of the rupturing of a diaphragm separating two chambers containing a gas or gases at differential pressure

Examples of shock tube in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The valve does not seal against the shock tube but rather allows fluid to flow through a passage in the shock rod, bypassing the main piston valve. Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2022 To test this theory, the scientists created a series of controlled chemical blasts in a five-foot-long, two-inch-wide tube called a turbulent shock tube to understand more about how explosions spontaneously ignite. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 4 Nov. 2019 Lance and a few members from her lab used blast simulation devices known as shock tubes to test the Tiny’s pressure gauges and other equipment in advance of the live explosives phase of the experiment. Evan Lubofsky, Smithsonian, 23 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shock tube.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shock tube was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near shock tube

Cite this Entry

“Shock tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shock%20tube. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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