boundary layer

noun

: a region of fluid (such as air) moving relative to a nearby surface (such as that of an airplane wing) that is slowed by the viscosity of the fluid and its adhesion to the surface

Examples of boundary layer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This configuration exploits the boundary layer of air flowing over the airframe to increase efficiency. David Szondy june 14, New Atlas, 14 June 2026 And smoothness matters because the thin boundary layer of air clinging to the ball determines where the flow separates, how large a wake forms, and how much drag the ball experiences. John Eric Goff, The Conversation, 13 May 2026 In the dual frame construction, a boundary layer dividing the carbon fiber helps make the frame compression more resilient. Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2026 The first hint that something strange happened at the end of the Cretaceous period was the K-Pg boundary layer, a dark stripe of clay in the sedimentary rock record above which dinosaur fossils are absent. Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for boundary layer

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boundary layer was in 1921

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Cite this Entry

“Boundary layer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boundary%20layer. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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