n., pl., -ta (-tə), or -tums.
- (Symbol p) Physics. A measure of the motion of a body equal to the product of its mass and velocity. Also called linear momentum.
- Impetus of a physical object in motion.
- Impetus of a nonphysical process, such as an idea or a course of events: The soaring rise in interest rates finally appeared to be losing momentum.
- Philosophy. An essential or constituent element; a moment.
[Latin mōmentum, movement, from *movimentum, from movēre, to move.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
