| wave | 1. An advancing ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid, as of the sea, resulting from the oscillatory motion of the particles composing it when disturbed by any force their position of rest; an undulation. "The wave behind impels the wave before." (Pope) 2. <physics> A vibration propagated from particle to particle through a body or elastic medium, as in the transmission of sound; an assemblage of vibrating molecules in all phases of a vibration, with no phase repeated; a wave of vibration; an undulation. See Undulation. 3. Water; a body of water. "Deep drank Lord Marmion of the wave." "Build a ship to save thee from the flood, I 'll furnish thee with fresh wave, bread, and wine." (Chapman) 4. Unevenness; inequality of surface. 5. A waving or undulating motion; a signal made with the hand, a flag, etc. 6. The undulating line or streak of luster on cloth watered, or calendered, or on damask steel. 7. A swelling or excitement of thought, feeling, or energy; a tide; as, waves of enthusiasm. <physics> Wave front See Undulatory theory, under Undulatory. Origin: From Wave,; not the same word as OE. Wawe, waghe, a wave, which is akin to E. Wag to move. See Wave. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| wave analyzer | An apparatus that assesses a complex mixture of wave forms by separating out their component frequencies and displaying their distribution. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wave form | The form of a pulse; e.g., an arterial pressure or displacement wave; or of the pacemaker pulse as demonstrated on the oscilloscope under a specified load. Synonym: waveshape. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wave number | <microscopy> The number of waves or cycles of light flux or radiant energy, measured through a distance of 1 cm. (05 Aug 1998) |
| plane wave | <microscopy> Wave in which wavefronts are parallel to a plane normal to the direction of propagation. (05 Aug 1998) |
| plasma wave | <physics> A disturbance of a plasma away from equilibrium, involving oscillations of the plasma's constituent particles and of an electromagnetic field. Plasma waves can propagate from one point in the plasma to another without net motion of the plasma. (09 Oct 1997) |
| compression wave | <radiobiology> Waves where the quantity which oscillates is the density of the medium, that is the medium at a given point alternately compresses and expands. Low-amplitude compression waves in air or water are commonly known as sound waves, shock waves are a high-amplitude form. Synonym: density wave. (13 Jan 1998) |
| postextrasystolic T wave | The modified T wave of the beat immediately following an extrasystole. (05 Mar 2000) |
| C wave | 1. A monophasic positive deflection in the electroretinogram arising in the pigment epithelium of the retina. 2. Wave in the venous and atrial pulses occurring during isovolumic ventricular contraction in which the closed atrioventricular valves (mitral and tricuspid) are abruptly displaced into the atria with a creation of a pressure transient. (05 Mar 2000) |
| x wave | The wave in the atrial or venous pulse curves produced when ventricular ejection moves the floors of the atria toward the ventricular apices. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pulse wave | The progressive expansion of the arteries occurring with each contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. (05 Mar 2000) |
| P wave | The first complex of the electrocardiogram, representing depolarisation of the atria; if the P wave is retrograde or ectopic in axis or form, it is labelled P'. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shock wave | <radiobiology> Wave produced (for example, in a gas or plasma) as a result of a sudden violent disturbance. To produce a shock wave in a given region, the disturbance must take place in a shorter time than the time required for sound waves to traverse the region. (09 Oct 1997) |
| shock wave lithotripsy | A method of fragmenting calculi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| short wave diathermy | Therapeutic elevation of temperature in the tissues by means of an oscillating electric current of extremely high frequency (10 to 100 million Hz) and short wavelength of 3 to 30 meters. (05 Mar 2000) |