shortwave

noun

short·​wave ˈshȯrt-ˌwāv 

often attributive

1

: a radio wave having a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters

2

: a radio transmitter or receiver using shortwaves

3

: electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength equal to or less than that of visible light

Examples of shortwave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Tuesday, expect a cloudier day as a weak shortwave moves through the region. —Nelly Carreno, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

Temperatures would have actually been higher over the last few days in Arizona, but for an atmospheric disturbance known as a shortwave trough over Canada that helped bring temperatures down, Ryan said. —Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Anyone with a shortwave radio could hear him. —Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026

At one point in the show, another uninfected human scanning through the dial on a shortwave radio notices some activity on a particular frequency: 8,613 kHz. —Rhett Allain, Wired News, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shortwave

• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• aftershave
• architrave

Kids Definition

shortwave

noun

short·​wave ˈshȯrt-ˈwāv 

: a radio wave with a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters

Medical Definition

shortwave

noun

short·​wave ˈshȯrt-ˈwāv 

1

: a radio wave having a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters

2

: electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength equal to or less than that of visible light