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.
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 • Jan. 20, 2026
Our dogs understand us better than they’ve been given credit for — and scientists say they have the brain wave evidence to prove it.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2024
Even during those tiny naps, the birds achieved so-called slow wave sleep, according to their brain wave recordings.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 29, 2023
Gamma waves are a frequency of brain wave typically associated with wakefulness, alertness and memory recall.
From Scientific American • Jun. 12, 2023
“Listen,” he added, seized by a sudden brain wave, “let’s go under the Invisibility Cloak, then we might get a good look at Malfoy on the way, see what he’s up to.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
