Brownian motion

noun

Brown·​ian motion ˈbrau̇-nē-ən- How to pronounce Brownian motion (audio)
: a random movement of microscopic particles suspended in liquids or gases resulting from the impact of molecules of the surrounding medium

called also Brownian movement

Examples of Brownian motion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
What looks like Brownian motion, random and chaotic, is in fact as efficient a system of transportation as there is. Bryan C. Donohue, Baltimore Sun, 17 Apr. 2024 But another is that at galactic scales, the acceleration due to gravity can vary by a small but random amount, as if spacetime were eliciting some kind of Brownian motion on the masses within it. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 But there’s another kind of movement available in liquids that has rarely been considered for this purpose—molecular thermal motion or Brownian motion. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Oct. 2023 Brown noise gets its name not from the color, but because it’s produced by a type of random movement known as Brownian motion. Samantha Vincenty, SELF, 12 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Robert Brown †1858 Scottish botanist

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Brownian motion was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near Brownian motion

Cite this Entry

“Brownian motion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Brownian%20motion. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Brownian motion

noun
Brown·​ian motion ˌbrau̇-nē-ən- How to pronounce Brownian motion (audio)
: a random movement of microscopic particles in liquids or gases that results from collisions with molecules of the fluid surrounding the particles

called also Brownian movement

Etymology

named for Robert Brown 1773–1858 Scottish scientist

Medical Definition

Brownian motion

noun
Brown·​ian motion ˌbrau̇-nē-ən- How to pronounce Brownian motion (audio)
: a random movement of microscopic particles suspended in liquids or gases resulting from the impact of molecules of the fluid surrounding the particles

called also Brownian movement

More from Merriam-Webster on Brownian motion

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