subsonic
adjective
sub·son·ic
| \ ˌsəb-ˈsä-nik
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Definition of subsonic
1
: of, relating to, or being a speed less than that of sound in air
2
: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents moving at a subsonic speed
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Other Words from subsonic
subsonically
\ ˌsəb-ˈsä-ni-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of subsonic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The second set of pilot and main parachutes, which are larger, are deployed at subsonic speeds. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Europe’s Mars lander parachute problems may be worse than thought," 10 Sep. 2019 Like Concorde, Boom's aircraft will only fly at supersonic speeds on transoceanic routes, while cruising at subsonic speeds over land. — Howard Slutsken, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Competition to Bring Back Supersonic Flight Is Heating Up," 28 Aug. 2019 Their high speed, low passenger capacity, limited cargo space and refueling requirements for trans-oceanic flights would make the jets five to seven times as carbon intensive per passenger as subsonic aircraft, according to the think tank. — latimes.com, "Global warming may kill the new era of supersonic travel before it even begins," 28 June 2019 This would give the subsonic attack jet the range to strike distant targets, perhaps bombing enemy air defenses to allow manned jets to slip through. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia’s First Autonomous Strike Drone Will Fly This Summer," 5 June 2019 Threats include noise from seismic surveys for oil and gas and ship traffic, which interfere with their subsonic communication. — Janet Mcconnaughey, The Seattle Times, "NOAA: Bryde’s whales in Gulf of Mexico are endangered," 12 Apr. 2019 In 2017, the Navy and Raytheon used the combination of a F-35 and SM-6 missile to destroy a subsonic target. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "F-35, Ground Rocket Launcher Team Up to Destroy Target with Pinpoint Accuracy," 8 Oct. 2018 The subsonic missiles are capable of flying up to 900 miles, staying low to evade enemy air defenses, and delivering a 1,000 pound high explosive warhead with an accuracy of within 10 meters. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The USS Fitzgerald Is Built to Take Abuse," 19 June 2017 In addition to operating intercontinental ballistic missile silos, the North Dakota base is home to the B-52 Stratofortress, the long-range heavy bomber capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and dropping nuclear warheads on enemy targets. — Paul Sonne, Washington Post, "Air Force base that lost explosives: We’re also missing a machine gun," 18 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subsonic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for subsonic
subsonic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of subsonic
: slower than the speed of sound
See the full definition for subsonic in the English Language Learners Dictionary