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Definition of "sound barrier" [sound barrier]

  • See sonic barrier. (noun)
  • A set of tall wooden, plastic, or concrete barriers placed along a road or highway to muffle the sound of traffic. (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.

Use "sound barrier" in a sentence
  • "X-1 program: accidents in, Armstrong as pilot in Bikle’s views about breaking of sound barrier by, and Crossfield ending of, Mach speeds on pilots in, range of, simulator for and techniques for maneuvering in outer space and Walker and Williams and program and Yeager"
  • "The first time Armstrong broke the sound barrier came in October 1955, an F-100A flight investigation of longitudinal stability and control characteristics involving various wing slots and slats in different leading-edge configurations."
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