wave

verb

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\ ˈwāv

waved; waving

Definition of wave

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to motion with the hands or with something held in them in signal or salute

2 : to float, play, or shake in an air current : move loosely to and fro : flutter flags waving in the breeze

3 of water : to move in waves : heave

4 : to become moved or brandished to and fro signs waved in the crowd

5 : to move before the wind with a wavelike motion field of waving grain

6 : to follow a curving line or take a wavy form : undulate

transitive verb

1 : to swing (something) back and forth or up and down

2 : to impart a curving or undulating shape to waved her hair

3a : to motion to (someone) to go in an indicated direction or to stop : signal waved down a passing car

b : to gesture with (the hand or an object) in greeting or farewell or in homage

c : to dismiss or put out of mind : disregard —usually used with aside or off

d : to convey by waving waved farewell

4 : brandish, flourish waved a pistol menacingly

wave

noun (1)

Definition of wave (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : a moving ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid (as of the sea)

b : open water

2a : a shape or outline having successive curves

b : a waviness of the hair

c : an undulating line or streak or a pattern formed by such lines

3 : something that swells and dies away: such as

a : a surge of sensation or emotion a wave of anger swept over her

b : a movement sweeping large numbers in a common direction waves of protest

c : a peak or climax of activity a wave of buying

4 : a sweep of hand or arm or of some object held in the hand used as a signal or greeting

5 : a rolling or undulatory movement or one of a series of such movements passing along a surface or through the air

6 : a movement like that of an ocean wave: such as

a : a surging movement of a group a big new wave of women politicians

b : one of a succession of influxes of people migrating into a region

c(1) : a moving group of animals of one kind

(2) : a sudden rapid increase in a population

d : a line of attacking or advancing troops or airplanes

e : a display of people in a large crowd (as at a sports event) successively rising, lifting their arms overhead, and quickly sitting so as to form a swell moving through the crowd

7a : a disturbance or variation that transfers energy progressively from point to point in a medium and that may take the form of an elastic deformation or of a variation of pressure, electric or magnetic intensity, electric potential, or temperature

b : one complete cycle of such a disturbance

8 : a marked change in temperature : a period of hot or cold weather

9 : an undulating or jagged line constituting a graphic representation of an action

Wave

noun (2)

\ ˈwāv

Definition of Wave (Entry 3 of 3)

: a member of the women's component of the U.S. Navy formed during World War II and discontinued in the 1970s

Other Words from wave Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about wave

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Choose the Right Synonym for wave

Verb

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down. swing implies regular or uniform movement. swing the rope back and forth wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion. waving the flag flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement. flourished the winning lottery ticket brandish implies threatening or menacing motion. brandishing a knife thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement. an infant thrashing his arms about

Examples of wave in a Sentence

Verb We waved to our friends through the window. She was waving in the direction of the bridge. Flags were waving in the breeze. The magician waved his magic wand. The leader of the parade waved a flag. It was so hot that we were all waving our hands in front of our faces to cool off. Noun (1) The waves crashed onto the rocks. She has a wave in her hair. Waves of warm air washed over us. We got a wave from the Queen. The rabbit disappeared with a wave of the magician's wand.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb So the red-clad, towel-waving ticket holders arrived at Nationals Park on Sunday with the modest expectation of watching Washington carry a 3-2 Series lead back to Houston. — David Ginsburg, courant.com, "Nationals fans adjust expectations after skid, Scherzer news," 27 Oct. 2019 Masses of flag-waving demonstrators demanding Catalonia’s independence and the release from prison of separatist leaders jammed downtown Barcelona on Friday as the northeastern Spanish region endured its fifth straight day of unrest. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Barcelona mayor calls for violence in Catalonia to stop," 19 Oct. 2019 And the new phone comes with motion-sensing technology that allows people to do simple hand-waving gestures to skip songs or switch apps without touching the phone. — Rachel Lerman, SFChronicle.com, "Google Pixel 4 phone, wireless earbuds with AI debut," 15 Oct. 2019 The stage was perfect for them: Sunny, warm conditions in a stadium filled out with cheering, flag-waving kids from local schools. — Foster Niumata, Houston Chronicle, "Argentina qualifies for 2023 Rugby World Cup with win over US," 9 Oct. 2019 Sanders' debt-waving health care platform aims to alleviate financial and physical stress, as does his plan to cancel all student debt and make public universities and HBCU's tuition free. — Cara Korte, CBS News, "Emotional town halls become centerpiece of Bernie Sanders' campaign," 27 Sep. 2019 In that culture war politicians who sympathise with the party conflate flag-waving patriotism with legitimacy. — The Economist, "China’s demand for undivided loyalty is causing tragedy in Hong Kong," 26 Sep. 2019 China’s leaders plan to celebrate 70 years of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1 with a huge military parade showcasing tanks and missiles, a pageant of flag-waving youths, and a speech by party General Secretary Xi Jinping. — Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, "As China's National Day approaches, Hong Kong protests cast a shadow," 17 Sep. 2019 In 2001, six days after 9/11, stock prices nosedived but stopped short of collapse in an emotional, flag-waving reopening of Wall Street; the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day down 684.81 at 8,920.70. — orlandosentinel.com, "Today in history: September 17," 16 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Win or lose, up or down, the Patriots always manage to ride the waves evenly, eyes on the horizon, looking ahead. — BostonGlobe.com, "Nearly two years later, as the Eagles and Patriots prepare for their rematch of Super Bowl LII Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, the tables we thought had turned instead returned to their original places.," 13 Nov. 2019 For reaching an untapped audience, respected names such as the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), too, have jumped on the TikTok wave. — Abhik Choudhury, Quartz India, "A dummies guide to running brand campaigns on TikTok in India," 11 Nov. 2019 Last year an entire Hawaiian island vanished beneath the waves in the wake of Hurricane Walaka. — Fox News, "Volcanic eruption creates one new Pacific island, sinks another," 9 Nov. 2019 If the 1-7 Dolphins have any opportunity to score their first road win of the year and ride the wave following their first victory, Sunday’s game could be it. — Safid Deen, sun-sentinel.com, "With Jacoby Brissett out, what does that mean for Dolphins against Colts?," 9 Nov. 2019 The anti-Republican wave brought in a Democratic super-majority of 5-1 on the council. — Don Stacom, courant.com, "After Zoppo-Sassu’s win in Bristol, a recount will determine if she gets an all-Democratic council," 6 Nov. 2019 In which case, this third wave of protest may not be the harbinger of a global revolution, but simply the new status quo. — The Economist, "Why are so many countries witnessing mass protests?," 4 Nov. 2019 Since 2009, Cocoa Beach, Florida has hosted Surfing Santas, in which guys and gals don costumes resembling ole Saint Nick and hit the waves on Christmas Eve day. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Celebrate Christmas Eve with Hundreds of Surfing Santas on Cocoa Beach," 30 Oct. 2019 Nothing can top these little baby feet on the beach, except for Stormi’s adorable laugh as the waves come in and wash over her legs. — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE.com, "Kylie Jenner and Stormi Webster's Cutest Clips: Watch the Star's First Born Grow Up Before Your Eyes," 29 Oct. 2019

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

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More Definitions for wave

wave

noun

Financial Definition of wave

What It Is

In investing, a wave is a pattern found in stock prices, technology, consumer trends or other areas. In technical analysis, the term often refers to Elliot Wave Theory.

How It Works

Elliot Wave Theory is a method for predicting stock prices by identifying certain trading patterns. Specifically, the theory states that markets move up in a series of five waves but move down in a series of three waves. The theory looks to investor psychology for key information.

Generally speaking, though, a "wave" is a term used to describe a new way of doing things. For example, Congress could pass new legislation to encourage "crowdfunding," which in turn could drive a new wave of startups who get their capital from online, fund-raising websites. The change could forever change the pathways through which capital reaches companies, and as a result more people may engage in the startup economy. This in turn could create markets for other crowdfunding websites, due diligence consulting firms, startup legal services and branding work.

Why It Matters

It's easy to see how investing ahead of waves could be extremely profitable. New waves can spur significant economic growth in certain sectors, and learning how to identify or predict waves accurately can lead to very good investment decisions.

Source: Investing Answers

wave

verb

English Language Learners Definition of wave

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to move your hand or something held in your hand usually in a repeated motion in order to signal or greet someone

: to float, shake, or move back and forth because of wind

: to move (something) back and forth

wave

noun

English Language Learners Definition of wave (Entry 2 of 2)

: an area of moving water that is raised above the main surface of an ocean, a lake, etc.

: something that has the shape or movement of a wave

: a usually repeated movement of your hand or of something held in your hand especially as a signal or greeting

wave

verb

\ ˈwāv

waved; waving

Kids Definition of wave

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to move (as the hand) to and fro as a signal or in greeting

2 : to move (something) back and forth The Black Knight waved his lance weakly over our heads.— Jon Scieszka, Knights of the Kitchen Table

3 : to curve slightly Her hair waves naturally.

4 : to flutter with a rolling movement Flags waved in the wind.

wave

noun

Kids Definition of wave (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a moving ridge on the surface of water

2 : a waving motion a wave of the hand

3 : something that swells and dies away A wave of anger came over her.

4 : a rolling movement passing along a surface or through the air waves of grain

5 : a curving shape or series of curving shapes hair with waves

6 : a sudden increase in something a crime wave

7 : a motion that is somewhat like a wave in water and transfers energy from point to point sound waves

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wave

noun

\ ˈwāv

Medical Definition of wave

1a : a disturbance or variation that transfers energy progressively from point to point in a medium and that may take the form of an elastic deformation or of a variation of pressure, electrical or magnetic intensity, electrical potential, or temperature

b : one complete cycle of such a disturbance

2 : an undulating or jagged line constituting a graphic representation of an action an electroencephalographic wave

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