What does displacement mean?
Word: Displacement
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Displacement means the act of moving something from its usual place; in science, the amount of water or other liquid pushed aside by an object put into it.
Synonyms: removal, movement
How do you spell displacement?
Syllables: dis - place - ment
Tricky part: Only one s at the start, because place begins with p, not s. Keep the e at the end of place; leaving it out is the usual slip.
Watch out for: displacment, dissplacement, displaicement
Memory tip: Where dis meets place nothing doubles: one s, then the p, side by side.
Displacement in a sentence
Example 1: We measured the displacement of water when we dropped a stone in the jar.
Example 2: Building the new airport led to the displacement of a few farms.
Example 3: The displacement of the cupboard left a clean square on the floor.
Fun Fact
A ship's size is often given as its displacement: the weight of the water it pushes aside, measured in tonnes.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the correct suffix to complete the word:
displace
a) mint
b) ment
c) mant
d) ement
Show answer
b) ment. Displace already ends in e, so it simply adds ment.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) beaker
b) cylinder
c) displacement
d) mesurement
Show answer
d) mesurement. Measurement keeps the ea of measure.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tsiedpmenlca
a) displacement
b) replacement
c) misplacement
d) placements
Show answer
a) displacement. One letter decides it: there is a d here and only one m, so it is displacement, not misplacement.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
displacement
a) settlement
b) balance
c) arrival
d) shift
Show answer
d) shift. A shift is a move from one place to another, as a displacement is.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A new dam causes the displacement of a village. This means its people...
a) had to move to a new place
b) got a new school bus
c) planted trees by the river
d) held a big village fair
Show answer
a) had to move to a new place
2. A brick is lowered into a bucket filled to the brim. Because of displacement, the water...
a) spills over the edge
b) turns muddy at once
c) stays at the same level
d) freezes round the brick
Show answer
a) spills over the edge
