Shapiro time delay

noun

A time delay in the round trip travel time for radar signals passing near a massive object, caused by time dilation.

Meanings

noun
  1. relativityA time delay in the round trip travel time for radar signals passing near a massive object, caused by time dilation.

    Synonyms: Shapiro delay, Shapiro effect

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA time delay in the round trip travel time for radar signals passing near a massive object, caused by time dilation.

Origin

Named after Irwin I. Shapiro who predicted the effect in 1964.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Shapiro time delay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shapiro%20time%20delay

MLA

“Shapiro time delay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shapiro%20time%20delay. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shapiro time delay,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shapiro%20time%20delay.

Source: Shapiro time delay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.