General: A raised ridge-shaped formation moving across the surface of a
liquid (as of the sea).
Physics: A disturbance advancing from point to point in a
→ medium or → space
as in the → propagation of
→ sound or → light.
See also:
→ acoustic wave,
→ acoustic wave equation,
→ advanced wave,
→ Alfven wave,
→ ballistic wave,
→ blaze wavelength,
→ bow wave,
→ collapse of the wave function,
→ complex wave,
→ compressional wave,
→ cosmic microwave background anisotropy,
→ cosmic microwave background radiation,
→ decimetric wave,
→ density wave,
→ density-wave theory,
→ elastic wave,
→ electromagnetic wave,
→ electrostatic wave,
→ gravitational wave,
→ gravity wave,
→ half-wave plate,
→ heat wave,
→ incoherent wave,
→ Langmuir wave,
→ longitudinal wave,
→ Mach wave,
→ microwave,
→ microwave background radiation,
→ microwave radiation,
→ millimeter wave,
→ millimeter-wave astronomy,
→ modulated wave,
→ Moreton wave,
→ neutral wave,
→ P-wave,
→ periodic wave,
→ plane wave,
→ quarter-wave plate,
→ radio wave,
→ rarefaction wave,
→ retarded wave,
→ Rossby wave,
→ S-wave,
→ scalar wave,
→ seismic wave,
→ Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor,
→ shear wave,
→ shock wave,
→ sine wave,
→ sound wave,
→ square wave,
→ standing wave,
→ stationary wave,
→ submillimeter wave,
→ transverse wave,
→ wave equation,
→ wave function,
→ wave mechanics,
→ wave nature,
→ wave numbe,
→ wave optics,
→ wave packet,
→ wave plate,
→ wave theory of light,
→ wave vector,
→ wave-particle duality,
→ waveband,
→ waveform ,
→ waveform analysis,
→ wavefront,
→ wavefront correction,
→ wavefront distortion,
→ wavefront sensor,
→ wavefront tilt,
→ waveguide,
→ wavelength,
→ wavelet,
→ wavelet theory,
→ wave train.
Etymology (EN): M.E. waw; O.E. wagian “to move to and fro,”
wafian “to wave with the hands” (cf. O.N. vafra “to hover about,”
M.H.G. waben “to wave, undulate”).
Etymology (PE): Mowj, loan from Ar. mauj.
