turbulence

Definitions

From Latin turbulentus (full of commotion), the -ul- variant of turb. The noun names motion that has lost its smooth order and broken into swirls and eddies — first of crowds and weather, later borrowed by physics for chaotic fluid flow. The two senses (physical air turbulence and social turbulence) share one image: order dissolved into churning.

Why It Means This

The word lives a double life. Its older sense is social — turbulent crowds, turbulent times — people and events in uproar. Modern physics then borrowed it for the chaotic, eddying flow of air and water, which is why a pilot announces "we're hitting some turbulence." Both meanings trace to the same root picture: smooth, orderly motion broken up into unpredictable swirls.

Common Collocations

• 1.severe turbulence强烈颠簸
• 2.hit turbulence遭遇颠簸
• 3.political turbulence政治动荡
• 4.economic turbulence经济动荡

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The flight hit severe turbulence and the seatbelt sign came on.

• 2.

  The company survived a decade of economic turbulence.

• 3.

  Smoke rising from the chimney showed the turbulence in the air.

Easily Confused

turbulence vs turmoil — both mean disorder, but turbulence is the physics word and tends to describe motion/flow (air turbulence, turbulent markets), while turmoil describes a churning state of confusion, often emotional or political (inner turmoil, in turmoil). You hit turbulence on a plane, but you're in turmoil in your heart.