zusammengestoßen

Zusammengestoßen is the past participle of the German verb zusammenstoßen, meaning to collide or crash into one another. The term is used to describe a physical contact between bodies that move toward each other, such as in traffic accidents, mechanical impacts, or particle collisions. It can also appear in scientific or news contexts to summarize a sudden contact between objects.

Etymology and grammar: zusammenstoßen is formed from the prefix zusammen- (together) and the verb stoßen (to push or strike). It is a separable-prefix verb, so in finite forms the prefix can separate, as in "Sie stoßen zusammen." In the perfect tense, the participle is "zusammengestoßen" and is used with the auxiliary sein: "Sie sind zusammengestoßen." The term can function as a past participle in a sentence or, less commonly, appear in adjectival use.

Usage and scope: The phrase is common in descriptions of real-world collisions, for example: "Zwei Autos sind bei dem Unfall zusammengestoßen." It is also used in physics and engineering to describe collisions between particles or components. Metaphorical or figurative clashes are usually expressed with other verbs or idioms, such as "auf Widerstand stoßen" (to meet with resistance) or "aufeinandertreffen," rather than 집zusammengestoßen.

See also: stoßen, Zusammenstoß, aufeinanderstoßen, auseinanderstoßen.