sympathetic vibration

noun

: a vibration produced in one body by the vibrations of exactly the same period in a neighboring body

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The sound comes from the beating of her wings and the sympathetic vibration of her thorax, buzzing at a frequency of 400 hertz (close to middle C). —

Dava Sobel, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2010

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

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of sympathetic vibration was in 1898

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near sympathetic vibration

sympathetic strike

sympathetic vibration

sympathetoblast

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Sympathetic vibration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sympathetic%20vibration. Accessed 26 Jan. 2023.

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