pressure wave

noun

: a wave (such as a sound wave) in which the propagated disturbance is a variation of pressure in a material medium

called also P-wave

Examples of pressure wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That volcano actually had a sound wave that circled the globe eight times or something like that, a pressure wave. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2025 The school windows have been blown out by the pressure wave from the explosions. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 May 2025 There is no air or water to carry pressure waves that create audible sound. Harshal Shah, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 Sidhwa, a stoic man with short hair, woke up when the pressure wave from an explosion blew the door open. Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pressure wave

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pressure wave was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Pressure wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressure%20wave. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Medical Definition

pressure wave

noun
: a wave (as a sound wave) in which the propagated disturbance is a variation of pressure in a material medium (as air)

More from Merriam-Webster on pressure wave

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