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sound pressure
noun
: the difference between the actual pressure at any point in the field of a sound wave at any instant and the average pressure at that point
Examples of sound pressure in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The manual reminds us that the sound pressure level of a chainsaw averages 105 dB, and a rock concert about 110 dB, exposure to which, for longer than 30-minutes, can do serious damage to one’s hearing.
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Robert Ross, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
The site conducted a successful engine hot fire test run on April 24, with footage demonstrating a water deluge system designed to cool the exhaust and reduce the sound pressure levels and showing hot rocket exhaust blasting the valley floor.
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Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 12 May 2023
This is almost four times more sensitive than just letting sound pressure reverberate through tissue, so this is likely the mechanism that baleen whales use the most.
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Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2023
Reason: Greater sound pressure (volume) will reach the listener when the source is closer.
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Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2018
The unit that the meter is measuring is sound pressure in decibels, but weighted towards the frequencies that the human ear is more sensitive to.
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Charlotte Hu, Popular Science, 7 Sep. 2023
One microphone is pointed in, monitoring the sound pressure in the ear canal and trying to drive it to zero while on a feedback loop.
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Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 22 Mar. 2023
Since fish calls change with environmental conditions like wind speed, water temperature, tidal amplitude and sound pressure level, the noises themselves can be an indicator of how the ecosystem is faring -- especially in oceans that are rapidly experiencing climate change.
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ABC News, 23 Jan. 2022
The proprietary planar magnetic speaker has a high SPL (sound pressure level), low distortion, and exceptional clarity.
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Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sound pressure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1893, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sound pressure
Cite this Entry
“Sound pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sound%20pressure. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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