wake vortex

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Datamuse reports no synonyms or antonyms for this word.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|aviation|aerodynamics}} One of the paired [[vortex|vortices]] formed behind any [[heavier-than-air]] [[aircraft]] when producing [[lift]], created by the [[velocity]] [[differential]] between the [[air]] being [[accelerate]]d [[downwards]] by the [[wing]]s (or other lifting surface), on the one hand, and the unaccelerated air beyond the aircraft's [[wingtip]]s, on the other.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.