depressurize
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To decrease the pressure of a gas or enclosed space: The primary meaning is to reduce the internal pressure of a container, vessel, or environment, such as an aircraft cabin or a pressurized tank, often to match the outside atmospheric pressure.
Usage
- This verb is typically used in technical, engineering, or aviation contexts.
- It describes a controlled or necessary action to make a high-pressure environment safe for entry or to prepare for an exit.
- The opposite action is "pressurize."
Examples
- Verb:
- Before opening the hatch, the astronauts had to depressurize the airlock.
- The pilot will depressurize the cabin gradually as the plane descends.
- It is dangerous to depressurize the tank too quickly.
Advanced Usage
- "to depressurize something": The standard construction, where the object is the container or space.
- The technician depressurized the reactor chamber for maintenance.
- Used in a figurative, informal sense to mean "to relax" or "to unwind," though this is less common and not the primary technical definition.
- After that stressful meeting, I need an hour to depressurize.
Variants and Related Words
- Depressurization (n): The process or act of decreasing pressure.
- The depressurization of the aircraft was handled smoothly by the system.
- Depressurized (adj): Describing a state of having reduced pressure.
- The depressurized cabin required everyone to use oxygen masks.
Synonyms
- Decompress: Often used interchangeably in technical contexts, especially for aircraft cabins or diving.
- Vent: To release pressure, often by allowing gas to escape.
Antonyms
- Pressurize: To increase the pressure inside a container or space.
Phrasal Verbs
- Depressurize to [a level]: To reduce pressure to a specific value.
- The system will automatically depressurize to one atmosphere.
Verb
- decrease the pressure of
- depressurize the cabin in the air plane