physics

phys·ics  (fzks)

n.

1. (used with a sing. verb) The science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two, grouped in traditional fields such as acoustics, optics, mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, as well as in modern extensions including atomic and nuclear physics, cryogenics, solid-state physics, particle physics, and plasma physics.

2. (used with a pl. verb) Physical properties, interactions, processes, or laws: the physics of supersonic flight.

3. (used with a sing. verb) Archaic The study of the natural or material world and phenomena; natural philosophy.

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[From Latin physica, from Greek (ta) phusika, from neuter pl. of phusikos, of nature; see physics.]

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physics

Noun

1. the branch of science concerned with the properties of matter and energy and the relationships between them

2. physical properties of behaviour: the physics of the electron [translation of Greek ta phusika natural things]

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physics  (fzks)

1. The scientific study of matter, energy, space, and time, and of the relations between them.

2. The behavior of a given physical system, especially as understood by a physical theory.

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Physics

See also astronomy; cosmology; gravity; radiation.

anisotropy

the state or quality of having different properties along different axes. See also botany. — anisotropic, adj.

astaticism

the condition of constant, uninterrupted variability of direction or position. — astatic, adj.

atomology

the theory of atoms.

biophysics

the branch of physics that deals with living things. — biophysicist, n. — biophysical, adj.

ceraunics

the study of heat and electricity.

crystallography

the science that studies crystallization and the forms and structures of crystals. — crystallographer, n. — crystallographic, crystallographical, adj.

diamagnetism

a property of certain materials of being repelled by both poles of a magnet, thus taking a position at right angles to the magnet’s lines of influence.

dynamometry

the measurement of energy used in doing work. — dynamometer, n. — dynamometric, dynamometrical, adj.

electrotropism

orientation in relation to a current of electricity. — electrotropic, adj.

energetics

the branch of physics that studies energy and its transformation. — energeticist, n. — energeticistic, adj.

energism

a doctrine that asserts that certain phenomena can be explained in terms of energy. — energist, n.

faradism

the application of alternating electrical current for therapeutic purposes. — faradic, adj.

focimetry

the determination of focal length. — focimetric, adj.

Franklinism

static electricity. Also called Franklinic electricity.

galvanism

a direct electrical current, especially one produced by chemical action. — galvanic, adj.

galvanology

a work on the production of electric current by chemical means. — galvanologist, n. — galvanological, adj.

galvanometry

the measurement of the strength of electric currents, by means of a galvanometer. — galvanometric, galvanometrical, adj.

geophysics

the physics of the earth, including oceanography, volcanology, seismology, etc. — geophysicist, n. — geophysical, adj.

gyrostatics

the study of the behavior of rotating solid bodies. — gyrostatic, adj. — gyrostatically, adv.

halology

Chemistry. the study of salts. Also called halotechny.

homeomorphism

the similarity of the crystalline forms of substances that have different chemical compositions. — homeomorphous, adj.

hydraulics

1. the science concerned with the laws governing water and other liquids in motion and their engineering applications.
2. applied or practical hydrodynamics.

hydrodynamics

the study of forces that act on or are produced by liquids. Also called hydromechanics. — hydrodynamic, hydrodynamical, adj.

hydrokinetics

the branch of hydrodynamics dealing with the laws of gases or liquids in motion. — hydrokinetic, adj.

hydromechanics

hydrodynamics. — hygrometric, hygrometrical, adj.

hydrostatics

the study of the equilibrium and pressure of liquids. — hydrostatician, n. — hydrostatic, hydrostatical, adj.

hygrometry

the branch of physics concerned with the measurement of moisture in the air. — hygrometric, hygrometrical, adj.

isomorphism

close similarity between the forms of different crystals. See also biology. — isomorph, n. — isomorphic, adj.

kinematics

the branch of mechanics that deals with motion without reference to force or mass. — kinematic, kinematical, adj.

magnetology

the study of magnets and magnetism.

monosymmetry

the state exhibited by a crystal, having three unequal axes with one oblique intersection; the state of being monoclinic. See also biology. — monosymmetric, monosymmetrical, adj.

optotechnics

the technology of optical instruments and apparatus.

oscillography

the study of the wave-forms of changing currents, voltages, or any other quantity that can be translated into electricity, as light or sound waves. — oscillographic, adj.

osmometry

the measurement of osmotic pressure, or the force a dissolved substance exerts on a semipermeable membrane through which it cannot pass when separated by it from a pure solvent. — osmometric, adj.

physicism

the doctrine that explains the universe in physical terms.

physics

the science that studies matter and energy in terms of motion and force. — physicist, n. — physical, adj.

plenism

the theory that nature contains no vacuums. Cf. vacuism. — plenist, n.

pleochroism

a property of some crystals of showing variation in color when viewed in transmitted light or from different directions. Also called pleochromatism, polychroism, polychromatism. — pleochroic, pleochromatic, adj.

pleochromatism, polychroism, polychromatism

pleochroism.

pyrology

the study of fire and heat, especially with regard to chemical analysis.

radiometry

the measurement of radiant energy by means of a radiometer, an instrument composed of vanes which rotate at speeds proportionate to the intensity of the energy source. — radiometric, adj.

radiophony

the transformation of radiant energy into sound.

spectrobolometry

measurement of the distribution of energy in a spectrum by means of a spectrobolometer, an instrument combining a bolometer and a spectroscope. — spectrobolometric, adj.

staties

the branch of mechanics or physics that deals with matter and forces in equilibrium. — statical, adj.

sympalmograph

an apparatus for illustrating in graphic form the composition of two simple harmonic motions at right angles.

telemechanics

the science of operating or controlling mechanisms by remote control, especially by radio.

thermionics

the science or study of the emission of electrons from substances at high temperatures. — thermionic, adj.

thermostatics

the science or study of the equilibrium of heat.

tribology

the science and technology of friction, lubrication, and wear.

trichroism

a property, peculiar to certain crystals, of transmitting light of three different colors when viewed from three different directions. Also called trichromatism. — trichroic, adj.

trichromatism

1. the condition of having, using, or combining three colors.
2. trichroism. — trichromatic, adj.

trochilics

Rare. the science of rotary motion. — trochilic, adj.

vacuism

the theory that nature permits vacuums. Cf. plenism. — vacuist, n.

voltaism

electricity generated by chemical means, as in a cell or battery; galvanism.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics" natural philosophy phase space - (physics) an ideal space in which the coordinate dimensions represent the variables that are required to describe a system or substance; "a multidimensional phase space" containment - (physics) a system designed to prevent the accidental release of radioactive material from a reactor hodoscope - (physics) scientific instrument that traces the path of a charged particle magnet - (physics) a device that attracts iron and produces a magnetic field meniscus - (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a vertical tube nuclear reactor, reactor - (physics) any of several kinds of apparatus that maintain and control a nuclear reaction for the production of energy or artificial elements metastability - the quality of a physical system that persists in its existing equilibrium when undisturbed (or only slightly disturbed) but able to pass to a more stable equilibrium when sufficiently disturbed isotropy, symmetry - (physics) the property of being isotropic; having the same value when measured in different directions wave-particle duality, duality - (physics) the property of matter and electromagnetic radiation that is characterized by the fact that some properties can be explained best by wave theory and others by particle theory absorption factor, absorptivity - (physics) the property of a body that determines the fraction of the incident radiation or sound flux absorbed or absorbable by the body reluctivity - (physics) the resistance of a material to the establishment of a magnetic field in it rest mass - (physics) the mass of a body as measured when the body is at rest relative to an observer, an inherent property of the body relativistic mass - (physics) the mass of a body in motion relative to the observer: it is equal to the rest mass multiplied by a factor that is greater than 1 and that increases as the magnitude of the velocity increases gravitational mass - (physics) the mass of a body as measured by its gravitational attraction for other bodies inertial mass - (physics) the mass of a body as determined by the second law of motion from the acceleration of the body when it is subjected to a force that is not due to gravity mass energy - (physics) the mass of a body regarded relativistically as energy flux density, flux - (physics) the number of changes in energy flow across a given surface per unit area absorbance, optical density, photographic density, transmission density - (physics) a measure of the extent to which a substance transmits light or other electromagnetic radiation quantum - (physics) the smallest discrete quantity of some physical property that a system can possess (according to quantum theory) attracter, attractor - (physics) a point in the ideal multidimensional phase space that is used to describe a system toward which the system tends to evolve regardless of the starting conditions of the system Bose-Einstein statistics - (physics) statistical law obeyed by a system of particles whose wave function is not changed when two particles are interchanged (the Pauli exclusion principle does not apply) Dalton's law of partial pressures, law of partial pressures, Dalton's law - (chemistry and physics) law stating that the pressure exerted by a mixture of gases equals the sum of the partial pressures of the gases in the mixture; the pressure of a gas in a mixture equals the pressure it would exert if it occupied the same volume alone at the same temperature Boltzmann distribution law, Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution law - (physics) a law expressing the distribution of energy among the molecules of a gas in thermal equilibrium Fermi-Dirac statistics - (physics) law obeyed by a systems of particles whose wave function changes when two particles are interchanged (the Pauli exclusion principle applies) Charles's law, Gay-Lussac's law, law of volumes - (physics) the density of an ideal gas at constant pressure varies inversely with the temperature Hooke's law - (physics) the principle that (within the elastic limit) the stress applied to a solid is proportional to the strain produced Kirchhoff's laws - (physics) two laws governing electric networks in which steady currents flow: the sum of all the currents at a point is zero and the sum of the voltage gains and drops around any closed circuit is zero law of gravitation, Newton's law of gravitation - (physics) the law that states any two bodies attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them law of thermodynamics - (physics) a law governing the relations between states of energy in a closed system
	2.	physics - the physical properties, phenomena, and laws of something; "he studied the physics of radiation" physical science natural science - the sciences involved in the study of the physical world and its phenomena acoustics - the study of the physical properties of sound

Translations

physics [ˈfɪzɪks] n → física

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physics [ˈfɪzɪks] n → physique f

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physics [ˈfɪzɪks] n → Physik f

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physics [ˈfɪzɪks] n → fisica