Rayleigh-Taylor instability

noun

An instability of an interface between two fluids of different densities which occurs when the lighter fluid is pushing the heavier fluid.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounRayleigh-Taylor instability (plural Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities)

plural Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities

  1. An instability of an interface between two fluids of different densities which occurs when the lighter fluid is pushing the heavier fluid.

Origin

Named after Lord Rayleigh and G. I. Taylor.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Rayleigh-Taylor instability. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rayleigh-Taylor%20instability

MLA

“Rayleigh-Taylor instability.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rayleigh-Taylor%20instability. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rayleigh-Taylor instability,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rayleigh-Taylor%20instability.

Source: Rayleigh-Taylor instability on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.