Definition of "cavitation" [cavitation]

• The sudden formation and collapse of low-pressure bubbles in liquids by means of mechanical forces, such as those resulting from rotation of a marine propeller. (noun)
• The pitting of a solid surface. (noun)
• Medicine The formation of cavities in a body tissue or an organ, especially those formed in the lung as a result of tuberculosis. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This process, called cavitation, can destroy a pump or cause it to deteriorate rapidly."
• ""At high speeds, something will happen called cavitation," he said."
• "Researchers have reported results that suggest the possibility of nuclear reactions during the explosive collapse of bubbles in liquid, a process known as cavitation ..."