Delta-v

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A vector change in velocity, especially a small change as a result of a corresponding change in some other parameter.
  2. 2
    The maximum possible change in the scalar speed of a rocket or other vehicle if operated in a vacuum away from external forces.
  3. 3
    The minimum scalar change in speed required to perform a particular manoeuvre.

Etymology

From delta (“change”) + v (“velocity”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.