FREEFALL Meaning and
Definition
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Freefall is a term used to describe the state in which an object or a person falls under the force of gravity without any external forces counteracting it. In this state, the object or person is not supported by any surfaces or structures, and experiences a continued descent towards the ground or a lower point. The term is commonly employed in the context of physics, aviation, and parachuting.
In physics, freefall refers to the motion of an object or body where gravity is the only force acting upon it. During freefall, objects accelerate towards the Earth at a constant rate of approximately 9.8 meters per second squared, commonly known as acceleration due to gravity. This motion is independent of an object's mass, resulting in all objects falling with equal acceleration in a vacuum.
In aviation, freefall is a stage during a jump or descent in which the aircraft or the parachutist is not under the influence of any external forces, momentarily decreasing the air resistance. This state is experienced by skydivers during the initial moments after jumping from an aircraft, before they deploy their parachutes.
In summary, freefall is the act of descending under the sole influence of gravity, where no external factors hinder the downward motion. It is integral to understanding gravitational forces and is applicable to various fields like physics, aviation, and parachuting.
Common Misspellings for FREEFALL
- dreefall
- creefall
- vreefall
- greefall
- treefall
- rreefall
- feeefall
- fdeefall
- ffeefall
- fteefall
- f5eefall
- f4eefall
- frwefall
- frsefall
- frdefall
- frrefall
- fr4efall
- fr3efall
- frewfall
Etymology of FREEFALL
The word "freefall" is composed of two parts: "free" and "fall".
The term "fall" can be traced back to Old English "feallan" which means "to drop from a height". It has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as German "fallen" and Dutch "vallen".
The word "free" comes from Old English "freo" which means "exempt from" or "not in bondage". It has its origins in Germanic and Indo-European roots and is related to words like German "frei" and Latin "frēnāre" meaning "to restrain".
The combination of "free" and "fall" in "freefall" refers to the act of falling without any restraints, attachments, or outside control.
Idioms with the word FREEFALL
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go into freefall
The idiom "go into freefall" refers to a sudden, rapid, and uncontrollable decline or deterioration of a situation, value, or condition. It evokes the image of a freefalling object, which represents the loss of control and the speed at which things are spiraling downward.
Similar spelling words for FREEFALL
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