Synonyms

wind tunnel

American

[wind] / wɪnd /

noun

Aeronautics.

a tubular chamber or structure in which a steady current of air can be maintained at a controlled velocity, equipped with devices for measuring and recording forces and moments on scale models of complete aircraft or of their parts or, sometimes, on full-scale aircraft or their parts.

wind tunnel British

/ wɪnd /

noun

a chamber for testing the aerodynamic properties of aircraft, aerofoils, etc, in which a current of air can be maintained at a constant velocity

"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

wind tunnel Scientific

A chamber through which air is blown at controlled speeds to simulate the motion of objects placed in the chamber through the air, used to study the aerodynamic properties of objects such as automobiles, airplanes, and missiles.

Etymology

Origin of wind tunnel

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

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.

He had funded a sparkling new factory, including a state-of-the-art wind tunnel and driver-in-the-loop simulator.

From BBC

Before these 2026 Games, the team have utilised a wind tunnel in a bid to improve performance.

From BBC

And they are starting work with a new wind tunnel and driver-in-the-loop simulator, about which Newey was pretty disparaging last spring.

From BBC

Now that we’re through the wind tunnel of adolescence, I’m happy to share them.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is the force that builds the wind tunnel.

From The Wall Street Journal

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