centrifuge

[ sen-truh-fyooj ]

noun

1. an apparatus that rotates at high speed and by centrifugal force separates substances of different densities, as milk and cream.

verb (used with object)

, cen·tri·fuged, cen·tri·fug·ing.

1. Also to subject to the action of a centrifuge.

centrifuge

/ ˈsɛntrɪˌfjuːdʒ; ˌsɛntrɪfjʊˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. any of various rotating machines that separate liquids from solids or dispersions of one liquid in another, by the action of centrifugal force
2. any of various rotating devices for subjecting human beings or animals to varying accelerations for experimental purposes

verb

1. tr to subject to the action of a centrifuge

centrifuge

/ sĕn′trə-fyo̅o̅j′ /

1. A machine that separates substances of different densities in a sample by rotating the sample at very high speed, causing the substance to be displaced outward, sometimes through a series of filters or gratings. Denser substances tend to be displaced from the center more than ones that are less dense.

Derived Forms

• centrifugation, noun

Other Words From

• cen·trif·u·ga·tion [sen-trif-y, uh, -, gey, -sh, uh, n, -trif-, uh, -], noun
• re·centri·fuge verb (used with object) recentrifuged recentrifuging

Word History and Origins

Origin of centrifuge¹

1795–1805; < French, noun use of centrifuge (adj.) < New Latin centrifugus center-fleeing; centrifugal

Example Sentences

Oil infrastructure, centrifuge plants and nuclear research facilities were left off the target list, a welcome relief for the Biden administration, whose overall objective throughout the last year has been to stop the war in Gaza from snowballing into a regional conflagration.

From Los Angeles Times

In future studies, the researchers will examine the effects of using a centrifuge to combat the fluid shift and its effects.

From Science Daily

But he's taken it off to test the effects of the centrifuge on his upper-leg.

From BBC

"It's the first time we have had an amputee in the centrifuge," she explains.

From BBC

From a taste of space on a parabolic flight to taking a spin in a giant centrifuge, follow ESA astronaut John McFall as he studies whether it's possible for someone with a disability to go into space.

From BBC