downwash

noun

down·​wash ˈdau̇n-ˌwȯsh How to pronounce downwash (audio)
-ˌwäsh
: an airstream directed downward (as by an airfoil)

Examples of downwash in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What was edited out was Miss Andrews getting knocked on her backside, thanks to the downwash from the camera helicopter. New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2025 The Osprey is hard to fly, especially if the aircraft enters a vortex ring state (VRS), a condition that affects helicopters and forces them to lose lift when entering their own downwash. Brad Dress, The Hill, 30 Dec. 2024 The drone flew so close that the helicopter’s downwash pushed the drone into the ground. Jonathan Rupprecht, Esq., Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 Well after the curfew, protesters were still out on the streets, and video captured by CNN showed a military helicopter hovering over a group of them, kicking up strong wind and debris with its downwash. Oren Liebermann, CNN, 28 May 2021 The Osprey, with its two powerful tilting rotors, has a reputation for creating mayhem with its downwash. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 23 Apr. 2021 And then there is the downwash, or wind generated by the blades, which is a unique problem when filming a sailing race since the pilot must avoid interfering in the competition in any way. New York Times, 11 Mar. 2021 Portugal and his team also reported that the birds frequently shifted into seemingly less-optimal positions, such as directly behind the bird in front, adjusting their flapping to avoid downwash. Chelsea Wald, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2014 Here’s an example of helicopter downwash working its magic on a cluster of Porta Potties. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 3 June 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downwash was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near downwash

Cite this Entry

“Downwash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downwash. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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