Dictionary

Brownian motion en · NOUN

Etymology

Named after Scottish botanist Robert Brown (1773–1858), who investigated the movement of pollen suspended in water.

Meanings

1. (countable, qualifier:statistical mechanics, uncountable) Random motion of particles suspended in a fluid, arising from those particles being struck by individual molecules of the fluid.
   • To summarize, the world is filled with instances of indeterministic Brownian motion, with various biological phenomena having evolved to optimally exploit versions of this randomness. Are we talking free will here? 2023, Robert M. Sapolsky, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, New York: Penguin, →ISBN:
2. (countable, uncountable) Synonym of Wiener process.
3. (countable, idiomatic, uncountable) A state of chaos or disarray.
   • The sun was hot on my legs. I moved out of the doorway and stood in the room with my thoughts in Brownian motion. 2003, Robert Wilson, Instruments of Darkness, Harvest Books, →ISBN, page 255:
   • That's pretty much what I'm doing here today—asking you, right now, to sit down, take a deep breath, and stop. Try to see a future beyond that Brownian motion of your daily affairs. 2007 November, Gil Schwartz, “Escape from the job monster”, in Men's Health, volume 22, number 9, →ISSN, page 122:

Forms

Relateds

Brown noise

Synonyms

Wiener process · Brownian movement

Translations (19)

fr mouvement brownien (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · hy բրոունյան շարժում (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · es movimiento browniano (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · pt movimento browniano (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · ja ブラウン運動 (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · hi ब्राउनी गति (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · de brownsche Bewegung (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · da brownsk bevægelse (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · ar حَرَكَة بَرَاوْنِيَّة (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · cs Brownův pohyb (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · bg Брауново движение (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · cmn 布朗運動 /布朗运动 (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · it moto browniano (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · ko 브라운 운동 (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · crh broun areketi (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · uk бро́унівський рух (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · ru бро́уновское движе́ние (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · fi Brownin liike (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid) · sv brownsk rörelse (random motion of particles suspended in a fluid)