'shock of impact'? what does it mean?
Here's an excerpt from my English textbook:
"At high speeds, falling cats have time to relax. They stretch out their legs like flying squirrels. This increases their air-resistance and reduces the shock of impact when they hit the ground."
After checking the dictionary, I found ‘shock’ and ‘impact’ have almost the same meaning. The phrase 'shock of impact' seems pretty odd and repetitive to me. So, is this phrase idiomatic? Why can't the author just write 'shock' or 'impact' instead?
Top answer
catknows I found ‘shock’ and ‘impact’ have almost the same meaning There may be sentences where these words have the same meaning, but not here. 'shock' is the feeling that the cat has when it lands on the ground — that unpleasant feeling that goes with being stopped suddenly. 'impact' is the sudden coming together of cat and ground with great force.
- catknows I found ‘shock’ and ‘impact’ have almost the same meaning There may be sentences where these words have the same meaning, but not here.
- 'shock' is the feeling that the cat has when it lands on the ground — that unpleasant feeling that goes with being stopped suddenly.
- 'impact' is the sudden coming together of cat and ground with great force.
- The impact is what makes the cat feel shock.
- CJ
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catknowsI found ‘shock’ and ‘impact’ have almost the same meaning
There may be sentences where these words have the same meaning, but not here.
'shock' is the feeling that the cat has when it lands on the ground — that unpleasant feeling that goes with being stopped suddenly.
'impact' is the sudden coming together of cat and ground with g
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