slipstream
slipstream Lexical Profile
slipstream Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A current of air or water driven backward by a revolving propeller or jet engine, or the region of reduced air pressure directly behind a rapidly moving vehicle.
"The cyclist rode closely in the leader's slipstream to conserve energy before the final sprint."
A position or situation following closely behind a powerful force, trend, or predecessor, allowing one to be carried along by its momentum.
"Several smaller technology startups flourished in the slipstream of the industry giant's success."
A literary genre that crosses the boundaries between conventional literary fiction and speculative fiction, characterized by surreal, uncanny, or subtly fantastical elements.
"Her latest novel is a work of slipstream that blends everyday suburban life with unexplained time loops."
• verb
To travel closely behind another fast-moving vehicle, competitor, or animal in order to benefit from reduced aerodynamic drag.
"The driver slipstreamed behind the rival car down the straightaway before pulling out to overtake."
To integrate software updates, patches, or service packs directly into the original installation files of a program so that they are installed simultaneously.
"The system administrator slipstreamed the latest security patches into the operating system installer."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1913 in early aviation terminology, combining 'slip' (referring to the backward slippage of air behind a rotating propeller) and 'stream'.