Meanings
nounbow shock (plural bow shocks)
plural bow shocks
- fluid dynamicsA shock wave formed by the bow of an object travelling at supersonic speed.
Synonyms: detached shock
- astronomyThe region of the magnetosphere in which the solar wind slows from supersonic to subsonic.
- A bow wave.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA shock wave formed by the bow of an object travelling at supersonic speed.
Similar
detached shock
Translations
Finnish iskurintama, iskuaaltorintama
- iskurintamaastronomy
- iskuaaltorintamaastronomy
French onde de shock
- onde de shockastronomy
Cite this entry
APA
bow shock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bow%20shock
MLA
“bow shock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bow%20shock. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bow shock,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bow%20shock.
Source: bow shock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.