Anticreep

/ˈæntiˌkrip/ adjective, noun

Definition

Designed to prevent or resist creep, the gradual deformation or movement of materials under stress over time.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + creep (from Middle English crepen, to crawl slowly). In engineering, creep refers to slow material failure; anticreep is the technological response developed in 20th-century materials science.

Kelly Says

Your metal bridges and jet engines don't fail suddenly—they'd fail through microscopic creeping if engineers didn't use anticreep alloys and designs, which is why planes built in the 1950s still fly safely today.

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