Definition

1. Noun:
   • An explosive sound caused by the shock wave of an airplane traveling faster than the speed of sound: A sonic boom is a loud, thunder-like noise produced when an object moves through the air at a speed greater than the speed of sound, creating a pressure wave.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The sudden sonic boom rattled the windows of the houses.
  • Residents complained about the sonic booms created by military jets during testing.

Advanced Usage

• "to break the sound barrier": This phrase describes the action of an aircraft accelerating to and surpassing the speed of sound, which generates a sonic boom.
  • The experimental plane broke the sound barrier, resulting in a loud sonic boom over the desert.

Variants and Related Words

• Sound barrier (n): The sharp increase in aerodynamic drag and other effects experienced by an object approaching the speed of sound.
• Shock wave (n): A powerful pressure wave produced by an object moving at supersonic speed, which is the physical cause of a sonic boom.

Synonyms

• Supersonic bang: A less common, informal term for a sonic boom.
• Sound boom: An alternative phrasing.

Related Phrases

• Sonic boom carpet: The area on the ground where the sonic boom is heard as the supersonic aircraft passes overhead.
  • The sonic boom carpet extended for miles along the flight path.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. an explosive sound caused by the shock wave of an airplane traveling faster than the speed of sound
   • a sonic boom follows an aircraft as a wake follows a ship