ultrasonicadj.
/ˌʌltrəˈsɒnɪk/, U.S. /ˌəltrəˈsɑnɪk/ 1.
a. The more usual synonym of supersonic adj. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > thing heard > [adjective] > ultrasonic
superaudible1917
supersonic1919
ultrasonic1923
ultrasonic1923
1923 Proc. & Trans. Royal Soc. Canada 17 iii. 145 The wave-lengths of ultra-sonic waves are very convenient for experiment.
1926 Encycl. Brit. III. 592/1 The utilisation of ultrasonic waves by Professor Langevin..in connection with deep-sea sounding.
1928 Observer 30 Dec. 3/6 This was the first occasion in this country on which the ‘ultra~sonic’ waves have been shown to an audience.
1938 B. V. R. Rao in Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. A. VII. 163 It appears desirable to designate the portion of the acoustic spectrum having a frequency higher than a thousand mega-cycles per second as the ‘hyper-sonic’ region, while the ‘ultra-sonic’ region may be taken to extend from one to a thousand mega-cycles per second.
1948 Rep. Progress Physics 11 205 Workers in India particularly have used hypersonic to denote ultrasonic phenomena (of thermal origin) at frequencies of the order of 1000 Mc/sec. or higher.
1957 New Scientist 9 May 26/3 Owing to the restricted frequency response of the human ear, those organisms which produce ultra-sonic sounds, as do many insects and bats, for example, have in particular been thought of as ‘dumb’.
1976 R. Dawkins Selfish Gene iv. 67 The..song of the humpback whale, with..its frequencies spanning the whole of human hearing from subsonic rumblings to ultrasonic squeaks.
1985 Sunday Times 27 Jan. 80/8 An ultrasonic beam passed through liquid generates bubbles which act as a cleansing agent.
b. Employing or operated by sound waves or vibrations having a frequency above the range of human hearing (i.e greater than 15–20 kHz); used esp. with reference to devices and techniques which make use of the reflected echo of an ultrasound pulse.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > thing heard > [adjective] > ultrasonic
superaudible1917
supersonic1919
ultrasonic1923
ultrasonic1923
the world > matter > physics > science of sound > vibration > [adjective] > beyond range
ultrasonic1923
hypersonic1937
1923 Proc. & Trans. Royal Soc. Canada 17 iii. 142 Two ultra-sonic generators..were placed facing one another, 60 cms. apart, in a large tank of water.
1935 Sci. Abstr. A. 38 1223 (heading) Ultrasonic total reflectometer to measure speed of sound and elastic constants of solids.
1949 A. R. Weyl Guided Missiles 25 Photo~electric, magnetic, acoustic (ultra-sonic) and other methods have been successfully used for proximity fuses.
1961 Lancet 30 Sept. 750/1 Ultrasonic methods have been described for the detection of intra-abdominal masses, breast tumours, [etc.].
1976 Offshore Platforms & Pipelining 174/1 Ultrasonic inspection followed the completion of the welds.
2. Designating speeds above that of sound; supersonic. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > rate of motion > [adjective] > greater or less than speed of sound
supersonic1932
subsonic1936
infrasonic1942
ultrasonic1942
hypersonic1946
transonic1946
1942 Jrnl. Royal Aeronaut. Soc. 46 85 Equations of general application are derived, proving that both for infrasonic and for ultrasonic (supersonic) velocities, an extremum of the cross-section is possible.
Derivatives
ultraˈsonically adv. by means of ultrasound.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > thing heard > [adverb] > by sound waves > ultrasonically
supersonically1952
ultrasonically1955
the world > matter > physics > science of sound > vibration > [adverb] > by means of ultrasound
supersonically1931
ultrasonically1955
1955 Sci. News Let. 26 Mar. 206/3 Ultrasonically treated honey..showed no signs of crystallizing.
1968 Amer. Mineralogist 53 1558 Samples of the ash were cleaned ultrasonically.
1974 Nature 2 Aug. 410/2 Electrodeposition in an ultrasonically agitated solution.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1923