buoyancy

[ boi-uhn-see, boo-yuhn-see ]

noun

1. the power to float or rise in a fluid; relative lightness.
2. the power of supporting a body so that it floats; upward pressure exerted by the fluid in which a body is immersed.
3. lightness or resilience of spirit:

   Student well-being and buoyancy are especially important because of the relatively high incidence of depression and suicide.

buoyancy

/ ˈbɔɪənsɪ /

noun

1. the ability to float in a liquid or to rise in a fluid
2. the property of a fluid to exert an upward force (upthrust) on a body that is wholly or partly submerged in it
3. the ability to recover quickly after setbacks; resilience
4. cheerfulness

buoyancy

/ boi′ən-sē /

1. The upward force that a fluid exerts on an object that is less dense than itself. Buoyancy allows a boat to float on water and provides lift for balloons.

buoyancy

1. The force that causes objects to float. According to the principle of Archimedes , when a solid is placed in a fluid (a liquid or a gas ), it is subject to an upward force equal in magnitude to the weight of the fluid it has displaced.

Other Words From

• non·buoyan·cy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of buoyancy¹

First recorded in 1705–15; buoy(ant) + -ancy

Example Sentences

Powder skis, which must float, achieve buoyancy mainly by sheer surface area, but on corn or boilerplate or wind-whipped, sunbaked, supportable mank, a wide ski is a slow ski edge to edge.

From Outside Online

If it were pushed downward, then its buoyancy should decrease, allowing it to fall below the underside of the levitated liquid.

From Science News

Its recent buoyancy arises from relatively robust GDP growth through early this year and its status as the world’s reserve currency.

From Fortune

This buoyancy allows it to undertake a four-day week experiment and could also be because of it.

From Digiday

Diving rings sit at the bottom of a pool because they have a lot of mass but don’t take up much space, so the force of gravity beats buoyancy.

From Science News

And despite the good scholarship the authors have managed to retain the buoyancy and upbeat air attendant on most comics.

From The Daily Beast

Sudden peace, buoyancy, contentment, or alternatively sorrow or physical pain.

From The Daily Beast

Buoyancy protects the most vulnerable parts of our skeleton.

From The Daily Beast

Blame it, he says, on buoyancy, which “reduces the energy expenditure associated with swimming.”

From The Daily Beast

You are a Cheever, my father would tell his children with a buoyancy in his voice which suggested both seriousness and mockery.

From The Daily Beast

She always seemed to be fairly bursting with youthful energy, and no bird could rival her buoyancy.

From Project Gutenberg

Unluckily, Bob had not counted on that extra weight of stone inside, nor on the loss of the buoyancy of the water.

From Project Gutenberg

He saw in it, the buoyancy of youth under the influence of agreeable company, and a cloudless day.

From Project Gutenberg

The buoyancy tanks in the lifeboats were of 18 ounce copper, and of capacity to meet the board of trade requirements.

From Project Gutenberg

But the buoyancy of the Polish character helped the nation to recover sooner from this severe blow than could have been expected.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• elasticity
• resilience