undulation

noun

un·​du·​la·​tion ˌən-jə-ˈlā-shən 

ˌən-dyə-,

ˌən-də-

1

a

: a rising and falling in waves

b

: a wavelike motion to and fro in a fluid or elastic medium propagated continuously among its particles but with little or no permanent translation of the particles in the direction of the propagation : vibration

2

: the pulsation caused by the vibrating together of two tones not quite in unison

3

: a wavy appearance, outline, or form : waviness

Examples of undulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, there are a couple of surprising breaks because of the hillside, but the greens are deliberately set up to roll a little slower so that balls don’t start rolling off the greens on putts encountering undulation. —Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

Mid-air, C. ornata executes lateral undulations — wave-like body motions — that fine-tune lift and direction. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025

And there’s an undulation that resembles a female orgasm that steps away from this 1-2-3, punch of the climax and a sigh of relief in the last five minutes, and the movie’s over. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 18 May 2025

The greens are large and feature a lot of undulation, so lag putting and three-putt avoidance are factors. —Dennis Esser, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for undulation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

undulation

noun

un·​du·​la·​tion ˌən-jə-ˈlā-shən 

ˌən-d(y)ə-

1

: the action of undulating

2

: a wavy appearance or form : waviness