microgravity

American

[mahy-kroh-grav-i-tee] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌgræv ɪ ti /

noun

a condition, especially in space orbit, where the force of gravity is so weak that weightlessness results.

microgravity British

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌɡrævɪtɪ /

noun

the very low apparent gravity experienced in a spacecraft in earth orbit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

microgravity Scientific

/ mī′krō-grăv′ĭ-tē /

A condition in which an object in the gravitational field of some other body (such as the Earth) is accelerated freely as a result of the gravitational force. Free-falling objects, such as a skydiver or a satellite orbiting the Earth, are in a condition of microgravity, while objects held up by forces resisting gravity (as in the case of objects resting on the Earth's surface) or held up by aerodynamic forces (as in the case of birds or aircraft) are not. Since the normal experience of weight on Earth is the result of forces that resist gravity, objects in microgravity appear weightless. Not all effects of gravity are eliminated in such conditions; tidal forces, for example, still affect bodies in microgravity, especially large bodies such as the Earth and the Moon.

Etymology

Origin of microgravity

First recorded in 1980–85; micro- + gravity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Research will include microgravity's effect on the human body, including measuring how her time in orbit impacts her memory.

From Barron's

During their eight months on the outpost, the four astronauts will conduct many experiments, including research into the effects of microgravity on their bodies.

From Barron's

During their eight months on the space station, the four astronauts will conduct many experiments, including research into the effects of microgravity on their bodies.

From Barron's

Microgravity manufacturing will allow purer and more-uniform crystals, alloys and drug compounds.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless "microgravity" conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria interactions differed from those observed on Earth.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023