waveguide

noun

wave·​guide ˈwāv-ˌgīd How to pronounce waveguide (audio)
: a device (such as a duct, coaxial cable, or glass fiber) designed to confine and direct the propagation of electromagnetic waves (such as light)
especially : a metal tube for channeling ultrahigh-frequency waves

Examples of waveguide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So Harry and his team are exploring the trade-offs and developing a lot of new cells that are much cheaper and lighter: Cells made with thin films of perovskites or semiconductors like gallium arsenide, cells that use quantum dots, or use waveguides or other optics to concentrate the light. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Apr. 2024 The novel waveguide for the neodymium tweeter extends response to beyond 25 kHz but importantly replicates a deep, wide soundstage. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Sallie Mead is, of course, not just her waveguides. Erica Huang, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 And the waveguides that Sallie was working on were called hyper-frequency waveguides. Erica Huang, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 In 2011, the researchers reported that Brillouin scattering held potential for high-resolution filtering, and developed new manufacturing techniques to combine a chalcogenide Brillouin waveguide on a silicon chip. IEEE Spectrum, 25 Dec. 2023 They are used in optical communications as waveguides and switches, as well as in filters, lasers, mirrors, and various anti-reflection stealth devices. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2023 The light then passes through a vertical waveguide, which restricts the way the light propagates and creates wavelength-dependent patterns; so different wavelengths of light land on different pixels on the detector. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Dec. 2023 With integrated photonics, the precise alignment is inherent, because the waveguides carrying the light are lithographically defined. Michael Watts, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waveguide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of waveguide was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near waveguide

Cite this Entry

“Waveguide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waveguide. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

waveguide

noun
wave·​guide ˈwāv-ˌgīd How to pronounce waveguide (audio)
: a device (as a glass fiber) designed to confine and direct the propagation of electromagnetic waves (as light)
use of waveguides for visual examination of the stomach

More from Merriam-Webster on waveguide

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