sine wave

noun

, Physics.

1. a periodic oscillation, as simple harmonic motion, having the same geometric representation as a sine function.

sine wave

noun

1. any oscillation, such as a sound wave or alternating current, whose waveform is that of a sine curve

Word History and Origins

Origin of sine wave¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The filament appears to wobble up and down like a sine wave over the course of thousands of light-years.

From Science News

One reason this model makes for an excellent UPS for your home network is that it gives output power in a pure sine wave form.

From Popular-Science

A sine-wave inverter allows a UPS to produce a clean sine wave form, which is the best type for power output.

From Popular-Science

Any set of data plotted over time can be expressed as a sum of trigonometric functions like sine waves, which can be expressed in terms of their frequency and amplitude.

From Quanta Magazine

Once the communicator's standby light approached sine-wave modulation.

From Project Gutenberg