microwave
Americannoun
-
microwaves
plural
-
an electromagnetic wave of extremely high frequency, 1 GH 3 or more, and having wavelengths of from 1 millimeter to 30 centimeters.
verb (used without object)
-
microwaves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
microwaved,
past participle, past
-
microwaving
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
microwaves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
microwaved,
past participle, past
-
microwaving
present participle
noun
-
-
electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.001 metres: used in radar, cooking, etc
-
( as modifier )
microwave generator
-
-
short for microwave oven
verb
-
An electromagnetic wave with a frequency in the range of 100 megahertz to 30 gigahertz (lower than infrared but higher than other radio waves). Microwaves are used in radar, radio transmission, cooking, and other applications. Microwaves are generated naturally by many astronomical phenomena and are found in cosmic background radiation.
-
See more at electromagnetic spectrum
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
microwavesimple
-
microwavessimple
-
have microwavedperfect
-
has microwavedperfect
-
am microwavingprogressive
-
are microwavingprogressive
-
is microwavingprogressive
-
have been microwavingperfect progressive
-
has been microwavingperfect progressive
Past
-
microwavedsimple
-
had microwavedperfect
-
was microwavingprogressive
-
were microwavingprogressive
-
had been microwavingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of microwave
Explanation
A microwave is a small oven that cooks or heats food very quickly. Instead of the electric or gas heat that a regular oven uses, a microwave heats with electromagnetic radiation. While the heat of a regular oven (or a small toaster oven) surrounds your food and cooks it from the outside, with the heat working its way in, a microwave's radiation cooks most food from the inside out. Its radiation, or waves, penetrate the food and heat up any moisture inside it. These waves are themselves called microwaves because they're short (and micro- means "small"), similar to radio waves.
Vocabulary lists containing microwave
Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Space Science (Astronomy) - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Physics - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Another is the docudrama re-enactments, which are contrived-looking at best and unintentionally funny at worst, such as when a Hezbollah fighter distraught by the pager operation frets that his microwave might kill him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Pointing to an area where his bike had been stolen, Choudhury said people had brought duvets, chairs and a microwave into the storage area, where they cooked food and charged devices.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Everyday actions generate billions of these nanoparticles, Yan noted, from washing a load of laundry to reheating a dish in the microwave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Rather than relying on visible light, these instruments detect microwave energy naturally emitted by Earth's surface.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
“What, you can’t take food out of the microwave by yourself? You’re a big kid, Albie. You need to start acting like it.”
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
He said they were clustering in large numbers and emerging from places including fridge seals, plug sockets, toasters and microwaves, adding: "It was like something out of a Stephen King film."
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
But economists warn that higher tariffs can make everyday goods, like coffee and microwaves, more expensive.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
There are other options for space solar, with solar panels in space beaming microwaves External link to a receiver.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
Because microwaves generate heat throughout the food, they promote vapor formation and help maintain internal pressure that keeps oil from being absorbed as easily.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2026
Gamow calculated that by the time it crossed the vastness of the cosmos, the radiation would reach Earth in the form of microwaves.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Inside an Omaha test kitchen, executives at Conagra recently huddled over plastic trays of microwaved eggs, potatoes and sausage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
A home carer unintentionally fed an elderly woman microwaved dog food, an investigation has found.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The men eat microwaved taquitos, she pounds vitamins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
That first time I used my name in public inspired in me the panic I associate with someone trying to pass off a microwaved jar of Prego as a laboriously simmered bolognese.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2023
After we both gobble down a quick microwaved dinner, I invite Dad into the garage to see my show.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Steaming, microwaving, or quick sautéing tends to preserve nutrients best.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“You’re going to hear Make America Healthy Again moms talking about it, while also environmental activists talking about it—and I guarantee your relatives are increasingly worried about microwaving their plastic,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
This android — one of two nameless leads in the Oscar-nominated charmer “Robot Dreams” — envisions a small, lonely dog in his third-floor walk-up, microwaving a depressing dinner for one.
From New York Times ● May 30, 2024
The sterilizing process isn’t that different from microwaving a frozen dinner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2024
Nearly everything in the store required microwaving or oven heating or scrupulous refrigeration or came in large, family-sized quantities.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
