camber

WOTD – 8 January 2009    

English

Alternative forms

• cambre (chiefly obsolete)

Etymology

Old French cambre (“bent”), from Latin camurum, from camur (“arched”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈkæm.bə/
• (US) IPA: /ˈkæm.bɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

camber (uncountable)

1. A slight convexity, arching or curvature of a surface of a road, a beam, roof deck, ship's deck etc., so that liquids will flow off the sides.
2. The slope of a curved road created to minimize the effect of centrifugal force.
3. (architecture) An upward concavity in the underside of a beam, girder, or lintel; also, a slight upward concavity in a straight arch.
4. (automotive) A vertical alignment of the wheels of a road vehicle with positive camber signifying that the wheels are closer together at the bottom than at the top.
5. The curvature of an airfoil.
6. (nautical) A small enclosed dock in which timber for masts (etc.) is kept to weather.

Translations

slight convexity of a surface

• Bulgarian: изпъкналост (bg) f (izpǎknalost)
• Czech: sklon (cs) m
• Finnish: kaarevuus (fi)

• Russian: выпуклость (ru) (vypuklostʹ)
• Spanish: combadura (es) f

slope of a curved road

• Bulgarian: вираж (bg) m (viraž)
• Czech: sklon (cs) m

• Finnish: kallistus (fi)
• Spanish: peralte (es)

alignment of wheels

• Finnish: sivukallistuma (fi)

• Spanish: inclinación (es) f

curvature of an airfoil

• Finnish: kaarevuus (fi)

nautical: small enclosed dock for mast timber

Verb

camber (third-person singular simple present cambers, present participle cambering, simple past and past participle cambered)

1. To curve upwards in the middle.
2. To adjust the camber of the wheels of a vehicle.

   Because he cambered the tires too much, he had less control on the turns.

Translations

to curve upwards

• Bulgarian: издувам се (bg) (izduvam se)
• Finnish: kaareutua (fi)

• Spanish: combar (es)

to adjust the camber of the wheels

• Finnish: kallistaa (fi)