I Do Not Think “Adiabatic” Means What You Think It Means

The definition of “adiabatic” given above, namely a process that occurs very quickly, is amusing to me because it’s almost exactly the opposite of the definition I usually encounter. In my corner of cold-atom physics and quantum optics, when we talk about something being “adiabatic,” we almost always means that it’s a process that takes place slowly.

You should read the post that induced this, Letting Air Out of Tires, and its followup, Letting Air Out of Tires II (The Wrath of Lance Armstrong)