| 释义 |
grav·i·ty
I. \ˈgravəd.ē, -ətē, -i\ noun
(-es)
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French gravité, from Latin gravitat-, gravitas, from gravis heavy, grave + -tat-, -tas -ty — more at grieve
1. : the quality or state of being grave: as
a. : sobriety or seriousness of character or demeanor
< men of gravity and learning — Shakespeare >
b. : importance, significance, dignity; especially : seriousness
< the gravity of an offense >
c. obsolete : influence, authoritativeness
d. obsolete — used as a title of respect or honor
e. : solemnity
< the gravity of the ceremony >
2. archaic : something serious : a matter of importance
3. : ponderability
4. : weight, heaviness — now used chiefly in the phrase center of gravity
5. [New Latin gravitas, from Latin]
a. : terrestrial gravitation : the gravitational attraction of the earth's mass for bodies at or near its surface as modified by the centrifugal force due to the earth's rotation; broadly : gravitation
b. : acceleration of gravity
c. : specific gravity
II. adjective
1. : using gravity : working or operated by gravity
< gravity irrigation >
2. : utilizing thermal convection currents instead of a fluid circulated by mechanical means
< a gravity hot-air heating system >
< gravity ventilation >
III. noun
: a fundamental physical force that is responsible for interactions between particles, between aggregations of matter (as stars and planets), and between aggregations of matter and particles (as photons) which occur because of mass, that is 1039 times weaker than the strong force and is the weakest fundamental physical force, and that extends over infinite distances but because of its weakness is evident only over large distances especially between aggregations of matter — called also gravitational force gravitational interaction — compare electromagnetism herein strong force herein weak force herein |