angle of attack

noun phrase

: the acute angle between the direction of the relative wind and the chord of an airfoil

Examples of angle of attack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Even if the wing could have been patched and cold-soaked and Columbia's reentry profile altered to raise the angle of attack and lower the temperature at the wing leading edge, vehicle loss was almost certain. Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2023 The center of pressure for an airfoil, however, is locked in place and does not change with the angle of attack. Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 9 Aug. 2023 According to the researchers, the angle of attack is the wing's angle and the incoming flow of water. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023 Watch on This is based on rocky performance already encountered, when the difference between the aircraft’s trajectory and where its nose is pointed (known as ‘angle of attack’) exceeds 25 degrees—a common situation when changing elevation. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 23 June 2023 These include yaw-rate sensors to measure the angle of attack—that is, the plane’s angle with respect to the oncoming air. IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2019 By approaching the target along a specific trajectory, the common big-eared bat Micronycteris microtis treats the leaf as an acoustic mirror to reflect unwanted echoes away from its angle of attack. Rachel Berkowitz, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019 Given this news, the Lakers are the only angle of attack for me. Nick Hennion, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'angle of attack.' 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

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of angle of attack was in 1901

Dictionary Entries Near angle of attack

Cite this Entry

“Angle of attack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angle%20of%20attack. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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