convection

English

Alternative forms

• convexion

Etymology

From Latin convectiōnem, from convectiō (“act of carrying”), from convect-, past participle stem of convehō (“to carry together”), combination of com- and vehō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈvɛkʃən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛkʃən

Noun

convection (countable and uncountable, plural convections)

1. (obsolete) The process of conveying something.
3. (physics) The transmission of heat in a fluid by the circulation of currents.
   • 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:

     The mantle is important to our discussion in that its viscous nature can conduct convection currents that have effects on the crust upon which we live.

4. (meteorology) The vertical movement of heat and moisture, especially by updrafts and downdrafts in an unstable air mass. The terms convection and thunderstorm are often used interchangeably, although thunderstorms are only one form of convection. Towering cumulus clouds are visible forms of convection.

Coordinate terms

• (physics): conduction, radiation

Derived terms

• autoconvection
• bioconvection
• convectional
• convectionary
• convection cell
• convection microwave
• convection microwave oven
• convection oven
• electroconvection
• forced convection
• free convection
• gravitational convection
• magnetoconvection
• microconvection
• natural convection
• photoconvection
• pyroconvection
• Rayleigh-Bénard convection
• semiconvection
• thermoconvection
• trivection

 

Related terms

• convect

Translations

process of conveying something

• Catalan: convecció f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 對流／对流 (zh) (duìliú)

• Finnish: kuljettaminen (fi), kantaminen (fi), välittäminen (fi)
• Hebrew: הובלה f (hovala)
• Italian: convezione (it) f
• Japanese: 対流 (ja) (たいりゅう, tairyū)
• Persian: جابجایی, همرفت (fa)
• Spanish: convección (es) f

transmission of heat by the circulation of currents

• Danish: konvektion c
• Finnish: konvektio (fi), kuljettuminen
• French: convection (fr) f
• Hebrew: הולכה f (holakha)
• Indonesian: konveksi (id)
• Italian: convezione (it) f
• Norwegian: konveksjon m, omrøring m
• Polish: konwekcja f
• Portuguese: convecção (pt) m
• Russian: конве́кция (ru) f (konvékcija)
• Ukrainian: конве́кція (konvékcija)

vertical movement of heat and moisture

• Finnish: konvektio (fi)
• Indonesian: konveksi (id)
• Italian: convezione (it) f
• Norwegian: konveksjon m, omrøring m
• Russian: конве́кция (ru) f (konvékcija)

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “convection”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.