Mach
noun/mɑːk/ · /mæk/
Etymology * As a Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Lower Sorbian surname, from pet forms produced by truncation of personal names beginning with Ma- such as Matej, Martin, or Maciej, and the addition of the Slavic suffix -ch. * As a Jewish surname, from German Mache (“work”). * Less commonly, a respelling of Hungarian Mács, a pet form of names corresponding to Matthew. * In some cases, from Vietnamese (Mạch, itself from the Chinese name 麥 /麦) or Cambodian, from Khmer ម៉ាច (maac).
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics A ratio of the speed (of an object, etc.) to the speed of sound in the fluid or other medium through which the object travels. Usually used to describe supersonic speeds; always precedes the Mach number.
- The jet traveled at Mach 3.
- The 1992 review concluded that Machs are generally less satisfied with their jobs.2013, Mark R. Leary, Rick H. Hoyle, Handbook of Individual Differences in Social Behavior, page 97:
- Derived terms
- Mach diamond, Mach effect, Mach front, Machmeter, Mach number, Mach stem, Mach tuck, Mach wave