supersonic
Other forms: supersonically
It’s faster than the speed of sound, it’s supersonic! Seriously. Supersonic describes things that can travel faster than the speed of sound, like the passenger jet Concorde that used to zip from New York to London in under four hours.
Anything supersonic is so fast that you see it before you hear it. A high-speed fighter jet is supersonic, but there aren't any supersonic passenger planes since Concorde's retirement in 2003. Space shuttles and modern bullets are still supersonic. Originally, the word supersonic meant "having to do with sound waves beyond human hearing," but by 1934 it described movement exceeding the speed of sound, with ultrasonic taking on the old meaning. Sonic comes from the Latin sonus, or "sound."
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(of speed) greater than the speed of sound in a given medium (especially air)
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of or involving frequencies above those of audible soundsynonyms: ultrasonic
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Vocabulary lists containing supersonic
Learn these words that contain the root son, from the Latin verb sonare, "to sound." Here are links to the complete set of Common Senses lists: Hearing: Phon / Aud / Son Sight: Vid, Vis / Spec, Spect, Spic / Op, Ops, Opt Touch: Path / Sent, Sens / Tact, Tang
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Stories about supersonic jets, an ancient astrolabe, and a pet alligator all contributed words to this list of vocabulary from the week's news.