collision
nouncommon in dialogue
- //kəˈlɪʒn̩//
An instance of colliding.
noun
- 1
An instance of colliding.
He has retired due to the collision.
At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
- 2
Any event in which two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time. In a collision, physical contact of two bodies is not necessary.
- 3
Variant of naming collisionClipping of naming collision.
- 4
Variant of collision detectionClipping of collision detection; tangibility.
Etymology
From Middle French collision, from Latin collīsiō (“clash, concussion, collision”) (whence -ion (noun suffix denoting action, result, process, state, condition)), from collīsus (“clashed together, conflicted, contended”), past participle of collīdō (“to clash, strike, dash, beat, or press together”) (whence collide), from con- (“together”) + laedō (“to strike, collide, hurt”) (whence col- (assimilated form of com-)).
Forms
- plural
- collisions