Coriolis
/ˌkɒriˈoʊlɪs/
noun
Origin
French
Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis — Eponymous; named after the French scientist who described the force in 1835.
Overview
Meaning Now
- An inertial force that acts on objects that are in motion within a frame of reference that rotates with respect to an inertial frame.
Language path
French → English
Earliest form
Coriolis
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The Coriolis effect was described by Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis in his 1835 paper 'Sur les équations du mouvement relatif des systèmes de corps'. While he initially applied the mathematics to water wheels and machinery, it was later identified as essential for understanding large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation.
Evolution
- 1835
force due au mouvement relatif dans un système en rotation
“Initial mathematical description by Coriolis.”
- late 19th century
Coriolis force
“Standardization of the term in physics.”
Connections
Related across languages
French
force de Coriolis
Coriolis force
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Related to Coriolis
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.