centrifugal
Definitions
Moving or tending to move away from a center; relating to the outward force on a rotating body
离心的；（与）离心力（有关）的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcentri- (center) + fug (flee) + -al (adj.) = 'fleeing the center.' When something spins, its parts try to run outward, away from the middle — that outward-fleeing tendency is centrifugal force. The opposite, centripetal (center-seeking), pulls inward instead.
Root fug still carries 4 more wordsUsage Guide
Mainly technical (physics, engineering). Stress on the second syllable: cen-TRIF-u-gal. Almost always paired with 'force' or 'pump.' Contrast with centripetal (center-seeking) — students mix the two up constantly: centriFUGal = Fleeing outward.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Centrifugal force pushes the riders outward as the carousel spins.
- 2.
The machine uses centrifugal action to separate cream from milk.
Easily Confused
centrifugal vs centripetal — Both describe forces on a spinning object but point opposite ways. Centrifugal flees the center (outward); centripetal seeks the center (inward, from pet- = seek). The rope pulling a swung ball inward is centripetal; the ball's apparent outward pull is centrifugal.