noun
turbulence
TUR-byuh-luns/ˈtɜːrbjələns/
Chaotic irregular motion within fluid.
The plane encounters turbulence as it flies through the clouds.
Etymology
The underlying idea is a state full of commotion. The word’s general sense of disturbance became a physical description of irregular fluid motion, including the atmospheric eddies that buffet aircraft.
In context
the water pours smoothly over the fall the turbulence below tosses water into the air
More examples
- Rocks create turbulence in the fast-moving river.
- Increasing the pump speed causes turbulence inside the pipe.
- The pilot changes altitude to avoid severe turbulence.
Forms
turbulent adjective — Moving in an irregular, disturbed way.
Similar words
- choppiness
- Emphasizes short, uneven waves or bumps rather than internal flow.
- agitation
- Emphasizes shaking or stirring, not necessarily chaotic fluid motion.