compression wave

or compressional wave

See more synonyms for compression wave on Thesaurus.com

noun

a shock wave that compresses the medium through which it is transmitted.

Compare expansion wave.

Origin of compression wave

First recorded in 1885–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for compression wave

Historical Examples of compression wave

Indeed a compression-wave of this kind passes through the gas-mixture, heated by the combustion to a very high temperature.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1
Various