sine wave

noun

: a waveform that represents periodic oscillations in which the amplitude of displacement at each point is proportional to the sine of the phase angle of the displacement and that is visualized as a sine curve : sine curve
also : a wave so represented

Examples of sine wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The transmitter is a simple circuit that usually creates a sine wave oscillating, Podhrasky said. Kat Friedrich, Popular Mechanics, 6 June 2023 With the sine wave of an alternating current usually oscillating 60 times (hertz) per second, energy experiences peaks and valleys. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023 One model put forth in 1990 assumed riders rock backward and forward at a constant frequency in simple sinusoidal motion—meaning the movement makes the shape of a sine wave in time. Bykatie McCormick, science.org, 7 Apr. 2023 While turning the saw on and off, the sine wave of the current had consistent symmetrical waves. Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023 The literary life is less like Freytag’s Pyramid and more like a sine wave — peaks and valleys, small victories alternating with strings of failures. Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2023 Under the hood, there is a 3,000W pure sine wave inverter and a MPPT controller which can support up to a staggering 2,400W of solar charging. Dallas News, 12 May 2022 This 16-outlet solar generator pumps out 5kW pure sine wave power and can be charged via 8kW AC+Solar dual inputs. Dallas News, 19 Jan. 2023 In the simplest form of ordinary radio, a switch connects and disconnects a strong electrical signal source – perhaps an oscillator that produces a sine wave fluctuating 2 billion times per second – to the transmit antenna. Joshua R. Smith, The Conversation, 24 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sine wave.' 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

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sine wave was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near sine wave

Cite this Entry

“Sine wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sine%20wave. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

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