backreaction
nounUK /ˌbækriˈækʃən/
US /ˌbækriˈækʃən/
A reaction that happens because of something you did, which then changes the thing that caused it.
When the little boat pushed the water, the water's backreaction pushed the boat too.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In physics, the effect that a system's own output has on the system itself.
The backreaction of the radiation changed how the particle moved.
3. A response that pushes back against an action or change.
The new rule caused a backreaction from the workers.
4. In engineering, the force a machine feels from the thing it is pushing.
The rocket's backreaction shook the launch pad.