microwave
Americannoun
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an electromagnetic wave of extremely high frequency, 1 GH 3 or more, and having wavelengths of from 1 millimeter to 30 centimeters.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.001 metres: used in radar, cooking, etc
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( as modifier )
microwave generator
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short for microwave oven
verb
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An electromagnetic wave with a frequency in the range of 100 megahertz to 30 gigahertz (lower than infrared but higher than other radio waves). Microwaves are used in radar, radio transmission, cooking, and other applications. Microwaves are generated naturally by many astronomical phenomena and are found in cosmic background radiation.
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See more at electromagnetic spectrum
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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microwavesimple
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microwavessimple
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have microwavedperfect
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has microwavedperfect
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am microwavingprogressive
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are microwavingprogressive
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is microwavingprogressive
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have been microwavingperfect progressive
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has been microwavingperfect progressive
Past
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microwavedsimple
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had microwavedperfect
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was microwavingprogressive
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were microwavingprogressive
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had been microwavingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of microwave
Explanation
A microwave is a small oven that cooks or heats food very quickly. Instead of the electric or gas heat that a regular oven uses, a microwave heats with electromagnetic radiation. While the heat of a regular oven (or a small toaster oven) surrounds your food and cooks it from the outside, with the heat working its way in, a microwave's radiation cooks most food from the inside out. Its radiation, or waves, penetrate the food and heat up any moisture inside it. These waves are themselves called microwaves because they're short (and micro- means "small"), similar to radio waves.
Vocabulary lists containing microwave
Physical Science - Energy - Introductory
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Middle School
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Physics - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Right, this is what Tina Fey’s pilot of “30 Rock” was based on: The vice president of television and microwave oven programming.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
High-power microwave systems are generally less vulnerable to rain, fog or smoke than lasers, but still depend on line of sight, range, beam control and the surrounding electromagnetic environment.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Quaise's application involves "sending electromagnetic waves in the microwave millimetre wave spectrum to essentially melt and vaporise through the rock," explains Harry Kelso, Quaise's communications manager.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
It lacked a minibar but came with a fridge, microwave and standard coffee maker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
I zap some ramen noodles in the microwave real quick so I can disappear into my room.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
Some have claimed the illness is caused by microwaves, prompting further speculation that a foreign power may have used some kind of sonar weapon to attack US overseas staff and their dependants.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Because microwaves generate heat throughout the food, they promote vapor formation and help maintain internal pressure that keeps oil from being absorbed as easily.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2026
The action in Iran has also underscored that drones are delivering a new economics of warfare, which demands cheap cruise missiles, high-power microwaves for drone defense, reusable interceptors on ships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions provides technologies that can disable drones with microwaves.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
It involved an invention known as the cavity magnetron, a source of high-powered microwaves.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The men eat microwaved taquitos, she pounds vitamins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
On New Year’s Eve, Amanda and I celebrated with nobody else, but watched the live feed from Times Square, while eating microwaved burritos in bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2025
"So we went and took snow from the backyard and microwaved it and it's clear - is this bad? Am I not supposed to eat snow?"
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2024
Despite the fact that I started cooking the roasted ones before the microwaved version, the latter were not only done first, they were nicely cool before the roasted ones were ready.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 19, 2023
You eat fast food or the hot dogs and Styrofoam cups of soup that can be microwaved in a convenience store.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
“You’re going to hear Make America Healthy Again moms talking about it, while also environmental activists talking about it—and I guarantee your relatives are increasingly worried about microwaving their plastic,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot was taken to hospital after an egg he was microwaving exploded in his face.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
The sterilizing process isn’t that different from microwaving a frozen dinner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2024
The anonymous author of the statement could not resist adding, “The U.S. Embassy will continue to make tea in the proper way — by microwaving it.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
Nearly everything in the store required microwaving or oven heating or scrupulous refrigeration or came in large, family-sized quantities.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
