What does “develop a drag” mean in this context?
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“Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…”
I'm not sure what "a drag" is supposed to mean here. The context is talking about the broomsticks they flew on. I've looked up the word 'drag' in dictionaries, but I don't know which one is fit for the context.
word-meaning phrase-meaning
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“Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…”
I'm not sure what "a drag" is supposed to mean here. The context is talking about the broomsticks they flew on. I've looked up the word 'drag' in dictionaries, but I don't know which one is fit for the context.
word-meaning phrase-meaning
add a comment |
up vote
1
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up vote
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down vote
favorite
“Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…”
I'm not sure what "a drag" is supposed to mean here. The context is talking about the broomsticks they flew on. I've looked up the word 'drag' in dictionaries, but I don't know which one is fit for the context.
word-meaning phrase-meaning
“Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…”
I'm not sure what "a drag" is supposed to mean here. The context is talking about the broomsticks they flew on. I've looked up the word 'drag' in dictionaries, but I don't know which one is fit for the context.
word-meaning phrase-meaning
word-meaning phrase-meaning
asked 1 hour ago
dan
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2 Answers
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The correct definition is this one:
physics: the retarding force acting on a body (such as an airplane) moving through a fluid (such as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
Merriam-Webster
Yeah, that's hard to understand. It's roughly synonymous with "air resistance" (or "water resistance" if traveling through water, etc.). Drag is what makes a parachute slow down when falling, for example.
An image makes it a little clearer:
In other words, after a few years brooms slow down because they are experiencing increased air resistance (I've always thought that this was because the bristles get bent and stick out).
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
1
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
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I knew you were referring to the movement version of the word "drag" so with that in mind, I found this:
Merriam Webster
2) Drag (noun): motion effected with slowness or difficulty
also : the condition of having or seeming to have such motion. Merriam
However, since you're referring to a flying broom, to be accurate, I looked up the aerodynamic definition of the word "drag".
NASA (with some edits):
Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft's motion through the air (in this case, the "aircraft" happens to be a broom). Drag is generated by every part of the broom (even a listing, tail end!).
I hope that helps.
New contributor
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
The correct definition is this one:
physics: the retarding force acting on a body (such as an airplane) moving through a fluid (such as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
Merriam-Webster
Yeah, that's hard to understand. It's roughly synonymous with "air resistance" (or "water resistance" if traveling through water, etc.). Drag is what makes a parachute slow down when falling, for example.
An image makes it a little clearer:
In other words, after a few years brooms slow down because they are experiencing increased air resistance (I've always thought that this was because the bristles get bent and stick out).
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
1
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
4
down vote
The correct definition is this one:
physics: the retarding force acting on a body (such as an airplane) moving through a fluid (such as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
Merriam-Webster
Yeah, that's hard to understand. It's roughly synonymous with "air resistance" (or "water resistance" if traveling through water, etc.). Drag is what makes a parachute slow down when falling, for example.
An image makes it a little clearer:
In other words, after a few years brooms slow down because they are experiencing increased air resistance (I've always thought that this was because the bristles get bent and stick out).
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
1
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
The correct definition is this one:
physics: the retarding force acting on a body (such as an airplane) moving through a fluid (such as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
Merriam-Webster
Yeah, that's hard to understand. It's roughly synonymous with "air resistance" (or "water resistance" if traveling through water, etc.). Drag is what makes a parachute slow down when falling, for example.
An image makes it a little clearer:
In other words, after a few years brooms slow down because they are experiencing increased air resistance (I've always thought that this was because the bristles get bent and stick out).
The correct definition is this one:
physics: the retarding force acting on a body (such as an airplane) moving through a fluid (such as air) parallel and opposite to the direction of motion
Merriam-Webster
Yeah, that's hard to understand. It's roughly synonymous with "air resistance" (or "water resistance" if traveling through water, etc.). Drag is what makes a parachute slow down when falling, for example.
An image makes it a little clearer:
In other words, after a few years brooms slow down because they are experiencing increased air resistance (I've always thought that this was because the bristles get bent and stick out).
answered 1 hour ago
Laurel
4,3581126
4,3581126
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
1
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
add a comment |
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
1
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
So, it could be because "it's a slight list to the tail end", right?
– dan
1 hour ago
1
1
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan From the way it's written it sounds like that's something that's there from the start. Also, I'm not sure if it would even cause drag: a "list" here means the broom is steering more to one direction than the other when it should be going straight.
– Laurel
1 hour ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
@dan it's a little silly to look for precise explanations of the physics of magical flying brooms. Some things we have to just take on faith. :)
– Andrew
11 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
I knew you were referring to the movement version of the word "drag" so with that in mind, I found this:
Merriam Webster
2) Drag (noun): motion effected with slowness or difficulty
also : the condition of having or seeming to have such motion. Merriam
However, since you're referring to a flying broom, to be accurate, I looked up the aerodynamic definition of the word "drag".
NASA (with some edits):
Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft's motion through the air (in this case, the "aircraft" happens to be a broom). Drag is generated by every part of the broom (even a listing, tail end!).
I hope that helps.
New contributor
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
I knew you were referring to the movement version of the word "drag" so with that in mind, I found this:
Merriam Webster
2) Drag (noun): motion effected with slowness or difficulty
also : the condition of having or seeming to have such motion. Merriam
However, since you're referring to a flying broom, to be accurate, I looked up the aerodynamic definition of the word "drag".
NASA (with some edits):
Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft's motion through the air (in this case, the "aircraft" happens to be a broom). Drag is generated by every part of the broom (even a listing, tail end!).
I hope that helps.
New contributor
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
I knew you were referring to the movement version of the word "drag" so with that in mind, I found this:
Merriam Webster
2) Drag (noun): motion effected with slowness or difficulty
also : the condition of having or seeming to have such motion. Merriam
However, since you're referring to a flying broom, to be accurate, I looked up the aerodynamic definition of the word "drag".
NASA (with some edits):
Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft's motion through the air (in this case, the "aircraft" happens to be a broom). Drag is generated by every part of the broom (even a listing, tail end!).
I hope that helps.
New contributor
I knew you were referring to the movement version of the word "drag" so with that in mind, I found this:
Merriam Webster
2) Drag (noun): motion effected with slowness or difficulty
also : the condition of having or seeming to have such motion. Merriam
However, since you're referring to a flying broom, to be accurate, I looked up the aerodynamic definition of the word "drag".
NASA (with some edits):
Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft's motion through the air (in this case, the "aircraft" happens to be a broom). Drag is generated by every part of the broom (even a listing, tail end!).
I hope that helps.
New contributor
New contributor
answered 40 mins ago
Sue F.
561
561
New contributor
New contributor
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