bow wave

[ bou ]

noun

1. the wave generated on either side of a vessel's bow by its forward movement through the water.
2. a type of shock wave formed in front of a body moving at supersonic speed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bow wave¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

She said the bow wave also took out the windows of other shops, describing it as "devastating for the town".

From BBC

It was the bow wave of a boom decade of growth the likes of which the city hadn’t seen since the gold rush.

From Seattle Times

Joshua Skule, a former FBI senior executive who now runs national security services company Bow Wave, says the use of smartphones and social media has made looking for fugitives both easier and harder - easier because of electronic trails, but harder because of the rise of encrypted communications.

From BBC

Diffuse gas in the two galactic haloes would compress on collision, forming a curved structure like the bow wave from a ship moving through water.

From Scientific American

Some observers have noted that in one of the other security camera videos, something that looks like the bow wave of a small boat appears next to one of the bridge supports, a split second before the explosion.

From BBC