collision

[ kuh-lizh-uhn ]

noun

1. the act of colliding; a coming violently into contact; crash:

   the collision of two airplanes.

2. a clash; conflict:

   a collision of purposes.

3. Physics. the meeting of particles or of bodies in which each exerts a force upon the other, causing the exchange of energy or momentum.

collision

/ kəˈlɪʒən /

noun

1. a violent impact of moving objects; crash
2. the conflict of opposed ideas, wishes, attitudes, etc

   a collision of interests

3. physics an event in which two or more bodies or particles come together with a resulting change of direction and, normally, energy

Other Words From

• col·lision·al adjective
• anti·col·lision adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of collision¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin collīsiōn- (stem of collīsiō ), equivalent to collīs ( us ) (past participle of collīdere to collide ) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of collision¹

C15: from Late Latin collīsiō from Latin collīdere to collide

Example Sentences

When physicists model particle collisions they use a tool called a Feynman diagram, a simple schematic invented by Richard Feynman in the 1940s.

From Quanta Magazine

Those checks could include collecting more data with the LHC or seeing if other particle collision experiments produce similar results.

From Science News

Energy from the exoplanet’s star could have heated the atmosphere enough that it blew or boiled away, or collisions with other planets could have tossed out the gas atmosphere but left the rocky core.

From Science News

We see that if you have a collision of high enough energies, then the laws of physics are a little bit different.

From Quanta Magazine

As it falls back to the ground, it can leave a fine layer of rocky bits atop any crater that the collision caused.

From Science News For Students

One witness said the gunfire began after a traffic collision, which drew the attention of a nearby police officer.

From The Daily Beast

Physicians are overwhelmed because we are in the middle of a collision of powerful unrestrained forces.

From The Daily Beast

It was this music that would set up the collision between poor blacks and middle-class whites that would result in Rock & Roll.

From The Daily Beast

The “cultural collision of Brits and Yanks threatened but never quite broke the partnership,” writes Symonds.

From The Daily Beast

In November, Kiir dissolved all internal party structures, setting the two men on a collision course.

From The Daily Beast

He used every artifice to prevent a collision between the French and Neapolitan troops.

From Project Gutenberg

He must keep a reasonably careful lookout for other travelers in order to avoid collision; also for defects in the highway.

From Project Gutenberg

A collision on the Susquehanna rail road, near Baltimore, by which 30 persons were killed, and a large number badly wounded.

From Project Gutenberg

During the last year a serious collision took place between the Chinese authorities and the British subjects at Canton.

From Project Gutenberg

During the preceding year the British power in India came into hostile collision with the Ghilzies.

From Project Gutenberg