An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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The theory that describes light as waves that spread out from the source that generates the light. It contradicts the → corpuscular theory of light proposed by Newton (1704). The idea of the wave nature of light was first put forward by Robert Hooke (1660). The wave theory was originally stated by Huygens (1690), who showed reflection and refraction could be explained by this theory. It was supported by → Young's experiment (1802) and established by the work of Fresnel (1814-1815). The wave theory received its most important support from Maxwell's → electromagnetic theory. See also → Huygens-Fresnel principle.

→ wave; → theory; → light.