brain wave

noun

Usually brain waves. Medicine/Medical. electrical potentials or impulses given off by brain tissue.Compare alpha rhythm, beta rhythm, delta rhythm.

Informal. a sudden idea or inspiration; brainstorm.

Nearby words

brain sugar, brain swelling, brain trust, brain truster, brain up, brain wave, brain's reflex, brain-fever bird, brain-picking, brain-teaser, brain-trust

Origin of brain wave

First recorded in 1865–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for brainwave

"It was a sort of second-sight—what they call a brainwave," Nick smiled.
The Tragic Muse|Henry James
Thought exchange by "brainwave" is wonderful, even if we still need a little speech as auxiliary.
The Brain|Alexander Blade

British Dictionary definitions for brainwave (1 of 2)

brainwave

/ (ˈbreɪnˌweɪv) /

noun

informal a sudden inspiration or ideaAlso called: brainstorm

British Dictionary definitions for brainwave (2 of 2)

brain wave

noun

any of the fluctuations of electrical potential in the brain as represented on an electroencephalogram. They vary in frequency from 1 to 30 hertzSee also alpha rhythm, beta rhythm, delta rhythm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for brainwave

brain wave

n.

A rhythmic fluctuation of electric potential between parts of the brain, as seen on an electroencephalogram.