wave
♦♦ wave /w'eɪv/ (waves waving waved)
1 [VERB] V to/at n, V, V n, also V n prep
If you wave or wave your hand, you move your hand from side to side in the air, usually in order to say hello or goodbye to someone.
He waved at the waiter, who rushed to the table...
He grinned, waved, and said, `Hi!'...
Elaine turned and waved her hand lazily and left.
[N-COUNT] usu with supp
Wave is also a noun.
Steve stopped him with a wave of the hand...
Paddy spotted Mary Ann and gave her a cheery wave.
2 [VERB] V n adv/prep
If you wave someone away or wave them on, you make a movement with your hand to indicate that they should move in a particular direction.
Leshka waved him away with a show of irritation...
3 [VERB] V n, V n adv/prep
If you wave something, you hold it up and move it rapidly from side to side.
Hospital staff were outside to welcome him, waving flags and applauding...
She was apt to raise her voice and wave her hands about.
● -waving [COMB in ADJ]
Hundreds of banner-waving demonstrators took to the streets.
...a flag-waving crowd.
● -waving [COMB in N-UNCOUNT]
There will be marching bands and plenty of flag-waving.
4 [VERB] V
If something waves, it moves gently from side to side or up and down.
...grass and flowers waving in the wind.
= sway
5 [N-COUNT]
A wave is a raised mass of water on the surface of water, especially the sea, which is caused by the wind or by tides making the surface of the water rise and fall.
...the sound of the waves breaking on the shore.
6 [N-COUNT]
If someone's hair has waves, it curves slightly instead of being straight.
7 [N-COUNT] with supp
A wave is a sudden increase in heat or energy that spreads out from an earthquake or explosion.
The shock waves of the earthquake were felt in Teheran...
8 [N-COUNT] usu pl, oft supp N
Waves are the form in which things such as sound, light, and radio signals travel.
Sound waves, light waves, and radio waves have a certain frequency, or number of waves per second.
9 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
If you refer to a wave of a particular feeling, you mean that it increases quickly and becomes very intense, and then often decreases again.
She felt a wave of panic, but forced herself to leave the room calmly...
10 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A wave is a sudden increase in a particular activity or type of behaviour, especially an undesirable or unpleasant one.
...the current wave of violence.
...an even newer crime wave.
11
see also long wave, medium wave, new wave, new wave, short-wave, tidal wavecrime wave
also crimewave
[N-SING]
When more crimes than usual are committed in a particular place, you can refer to this as a crime wave.
The country is in the grip of a teenage crime wave.long wave
[N-UNCOUNT]
Long wave is a range of radio waves which are used for broadcasting.
...broadcasting on long wave.
...1500m on long wave.me|dium wave
[N-UNCOUNT] usu on N
Medium wave is a range of radio waves which are used for broadcasting. (mainly BRIT)
...a station broadcasting pop music on medium wave.Mexi|can wave (Mexican waves)
[N-COUNT]
If a crowd of people do a Mexican wave, each person in the crowd stands up and puts their arms in the air after the person to one side of them, creating a continuous wave-like motion through the crowd. (BRIT; in AM, use wave)new wave (new waves)
[N-COUNT]
In the arts or in politics, a new wave is a group or movement that deliberately introduces new or unconventional ideas instead of using traditional ones.
...the new wave of satirical comedy...
...New Wave music.per|ma|nent wave (permanent waves)
[N-COUNT]
A permanent wave is the same as a perm. (OLD-FASHIONED)shock wave (shock waves)
also shockwave
1 [N-COUNT]
A shock wave is an area of very high pressure moving through the air, earth, or water. It is caused by an explosion or an earthquake, or by an object travelling faster than sound.
The shock waves yesterday were felt from Las Vegas to San Diego.
2 [N-COUNT]
A shock wave is the effect of something surprising, such as a piece of unpleasant news, that causes strong reactions when it spreads through a place.
The crime sent shock waves throughout the country.sound wave (sound waves)
also soundwave
[N-COUNT]
Sound waves are the waves of energy that we hear as sound.tid|al wave (tidal waves)
1 [N-COUNT]
A tidal wave is a very large wave, often caused by an earthquake, that flows onto the land and destroys things.
...a massive tidal wave swept the ship up and away.
2 [N-COUNT] usu sing, usu N of n
If you describe a very large number of emotions, things, or people as a tidal wave, you mean that they all occur at the same time.
The trade union movement was swept along by the same tidal wave of patriotism which affected the country as a whole...
= deluge
1 [VERB] V to/at n, V, V n, also V n prep
If you wave or wave your hand, you move your hand from side to side in the air, usually in order to say hello or goodbye to someone.
He waved at the waiter, who rushed to the table...
He grinned, waved, and said, `Hi!'...
Elaine turned and waved her hand lazily and left.
[N-COUNT] usu with supp
Wave is also a noun.
Steve stopped him with a wave of the hand...
Paddy spotted Mary Ann and gave her a cheery wave.
2 [VERB] V n adv/prep
If you wave someone away or wave them on, you make a movement with your hand to indicate that they should move in a particular direction.
Leshka waved him away with a show of irritation...
3 [VERB] V n, V n adv/prep
If you wave something, you hold it up and move it rapidly from side to side.
Hospital staff were outside to welcome him, waving flags and applauding...
She was apt to raise her voice and wave her hands about.
● -waving [COMB in ADJ]
Hundreds of banner-waving demonstrators took to the streets.
...a flag-waving crowd.
● -waving [COMB in N-UNCOUNT]
There will be marching bands and plenty of flag-waving.
4 [VERB] V
If something waves, it moves gently from side to side or up and down.
...grass and flowers waving in the wind.
= sway
5 [N-COUNT]
A wave is a raised mass of water on the surface of water, especially the sea, which is caused by the wind or by tides making the surface of the water rise and fall.
...the sound of the waves breaking on the shore.
6 [N-COUNT]
If someone's hair has waves, it curves slightly instead of being straight.
7 [N-COUNT] with supp
A wave is a sudden increase in heat or energy that spreads out from an earthquake or explosion.
The shock waves of the earthquake were felt in Teheran...
8 [N-COUNT] usu pl, oft supp N
Waves are the form in which things such as sound, light, and radio signals travel.
Sound waves, light waves, and radio waves have a certain frequency, or number of waves per second.
9 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
If you refer to a wave of a particular feeling, you mean that it increases quickly and becomes very intense, and then often decreases again.
She felt a wave of panic, but forced herself to leave the room calmly...
10 [N-COUNT] usu N of n
A wave is a sudden increase in a particular activity or type of behaviour, especially an undesirable or unpleasant one.
...the current wave of violence.
...an even newer crime wave.
11
see also long wave, medium wave, new wave, new wave, short-wave, tidal wavecrime wave
also crimewave
[N-SING]
When more crimes than usual are committed in a particular place, you can refer to this as a crime wave.
The country is in the grip of a teenage crime wave.long wave
[N-UNCOUNT]
Long wave is a range of radio waves which are used for broadcasting.
...broadcasting on long wave.
...1500m on long wave.me|dium wave
[N-UNCOUNT] usu on N
Medium wave is a range of radio waves which are used for broadcasting. (mainly BRIT)
...a station broadcasting pop music on medium wave.Mexi|can wave (Mexican waves)
[N-COUNT]
If a crowd of people do a Mexican wave, each person in the crowd stands up and puts their arms in the air after the person to one side of them, creating a continuous wave-like motion through the crowd. (BRIT; in AM, use wave)new wave (new waves)
[N-COUNT]
In the arts or in politics, a new wave is a group or movement that deliberately introduces new or unconventional ideas instead of using traditional ones.
...the new wave of satirical comedy...
...New Wave music.per|ma|nent wave (permanent waves)
[N-COUNT]
A permanent wave is the same as a perm. (OLD-FASHIONED)shock wave (shock waves)
also shockwave
1 [N-COUNT]
A shock wave is an area of very high pressure moving through the air, earth, or water. It is caused by an explosion or an earthquake, or by an object travelling faster than sound.
The shock waves yesterday were felt from Las Vegas to San Diego.
2 [N-COUNT]
A shock wave is the effect of something surprising, such as a piece of unpleasant news, that causes strong reactions when it spreads through a place.
The crime sent shock waves throughout the country.sound wave (sound waves)
also soundwave
[N-COUNT]
Sound waves are the waves of energy that we hear as sound.tid|al wave (tidal waves)
1 [N-COUNT]
A tidal wave is a very large wave, often caused by an earthquake, that flows onto the land and destroys things.
...a massive tidal wave swept the ship up and away.
2 [N-COUNT] usu sing, usu N of n
If you describe a very large number of emotions, things, or people as a tidal wave, you mean that they all occur at the same time.
The trade union movement was swept along by the same tidal wave of patriotism which affected the country as a whole...
= deluge