brain wave
Americannoun
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Medicine/Medical. Usually brain waves an electrical impulse given off by brain tissue, occurring at a frequency that varies according to mental state or activity, such as the slow waves associated with deep sleep and the fast waves associated with actively engaged thoughts and speech.
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Informal. a sudden idea or inspiration; brainstorm.
noun
Etymology
Origin of brain wave
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
During meaningful conversations, there is an associated syncing, or coupling, of neural patterns or brain waves.
In a 2019 study, Lewis and her colleagues found that this fluid moves in a rhythmic pattern as people sleep, closely linked to shifts in brain wave activity.
From Science Daily
Researchers can use this virtual cortex to study how neurological disorders form, how brain waves contribute to attention, and how seizures move through neural networks.
From Science Daily
In medical settings, the sleep cycle is measured through electroencephalograms, which track people’s brain waves over the course of the night, Goldstein explained.
From Salon
The researchers recorded one night of sleep using polysomnography, a diagnostic test that measures various body functions, such as brain waves and heart rate during sleep, using sensors placed throughout the body.
From Science Daily
Definitions 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.
