undulation

play

noun un·du·la·tion \ ˌən-jə-ˈlā-shən , ˌən-dyə- , ˌən-də- \

Definition of undulation

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

See undulation defined for kids

Recent Examples of undulation from the Web

The subtle feedback of tugs and twitches coming through the steering wheel with every pavement undulation and nuanced change in road surface are vivid enough that an astute passenger will notice the wheel’s wriggling.

— dave vanderwerp, Car and Driver, "2018 McLaren 570S Spider," 25 July 2017
The world’s best golfers worked their way around the undulations of Royal Birkdale, fine-tuning their games with a last practice round before Thursday’s start of the 146th British Open.

— sam farmer, latimes.com, "Royal Birkdale shouldn't disappoint as typical British Open golf course," 19 July 2017
Rahm will need all that skill this week at Erin Hills in Wisconsin -- a 7,741-yard, par 72, monster of a course full of links-like undulations, perilous sand traps and punishingly deep rough.

— matthew knight and patrick snell, CNN, "US Open: The rise of Jon Rahm -- Thriving through 'adversity'," 15 June 2017
The hole slopes pretty severely from right to left and boasts waves of undulations between within the fairway itself.

— luke kerr-dineen, USA TODAY, "The U.S. Open's 18th hole is mouth-watering," 14 June 2017
Five hours may be considered a lightning round as 156 golfers traverse around 7,700 yards of undulations and unpredictability.

— john cherwa, courant.com, "Pace Of Play A Concern At U.S. Open," 14 June 2017
No kipukas out here: just mile upon mile of the black undulations formerly known as magma.

— elyse butler, Smithsonian, "Hawaii’s Must-See Lava Flows Are Home to New, Startling Ecosystems," 2 May 2017
And the laser images, with their precise modeling of any undulations in a roof’s surface, can identify weak spots that wouldn’t be obvious using standard aerial photography.

— hannah furfaro, WSJ, "Aerial Technology Gives Cities New Perspectives on Old Problems," 16 Apr. 2017
The curve of the horizon is caused by undulations in the flat Earth.

— craig a. foster, The Denver Post, "Kyrie Irving’s “flat Earth” comments reveal the danger of science denial," 1 Mar. 2017

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

First Known Use of undulation

1646

Learn More about undulation

See words that rhyme with undulation Spanish Central: Translation of undulation Nglish: Translation of undulation for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up undulation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

undulation

Definition of undulation

Recent Examples of undulation from the Web

First Known Use of undulation

Learn More about undulation

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

yeasty

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

undulation

Definition of undulation

Explore Merriam-Webster

Recent Examples of undulation from the Web

First Known Use of undulation

Learn More about undulation

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066