Added 10 October 2026
slipstream
/ˈslɪp.stɹiːm/ noun
In Latin: none, coined in 1989 Coined: 1989, by Bruce Sterling Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about slipstream at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The low-pressure zone immediately following a rapidly moving object, caused by turbulence.
- A generated advantage which makes forward movement easier.
- The relative wind experienced as a result of movement through air.
verb
-
To take advantage of the suction produced by a slipstream by travelling immediately behind the slipstream generator.
Although dangerous, over-the-road truck drivers sometimes slipstream with each other to save fuel.
- To incorporate additional software (such as patches) into an existing installer.
Origin
Compound of slip + stream. Fiction sense coined by cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling in 1989.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)