collision
/kəˈlɪʒn̩/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.95 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
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-)).