brain wave

noun

Definition of brain wave

2a : rhythmic fluctuations of voltage between parts of the brain resulting in the flow of an electric current

b : a current produced by brain waves

Examples of brain wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 1980s, Benjamin Libet wired people up to a system that recorded their brain waves. — Daniel Glaser, A-LIST, "Out of Your Mind," 1 July 2018 If brain waves are measured at the same time, particular signals in the reading indicate with certainty whether the participants heard their own voice. — Steve Ayan, Scientific American, "10 Things You Don’t Know About Yourself," 15 May 2018 Bartschi’s music delightfully hints at a bygone era and is full of motion, like the whirring of focused brain waves. — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Entertaining Sherlock Holmes musical doesn't always hit the right emotional notes," 9 June 2018 Sleep tests performed in a lab use advanced electrodes and sensors to measure more than a dozen different metrics in addition to breathing, such as brain waves, leg and eye movement, and oxygen levels. — Sarah Gantz, Philly.com, "The high cost of getting a good night's sleep," 6 June 2018 In a similar vein, Dreem, a $500 ergonomic headband, works with electroencephalography sensors to monitor brain waves, heart rate, and breathing during sleep. — Lindsey Tramuta, Fortune, "How Sleep Became The Ultimate Luxury," 31 May 2018 From no brain waves to now walking and talking and reading, doing math. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Boy regains consciousness after parents sign papers to donate his organs," 6 May 2018 This also serves to keep the person’s head fairly still so that the system can more easily read brain waves. — Larry Greenemeier, Scientific American, "Marvel Comics Gets Inside the Heads of the Avengers," 21 Aug. 2014 Of particular note: The deep, almost ethereal bass tones meant to promote slow-wave sleep, a phase that’s responsible for consolidating memory and learning as brain waves oscillate at the supremely mellow frequency of 10Hz. — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "Max Richter’s Eight-Hour Ambient Piece Will Put You To Sleep—Actually, That’s The Whole Point," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brain wave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.