microwave

[ mahy-kroh-weyv ]
/ ˈmaɪ kroʊˌweɪv /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR microwave ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an electromagnetic wave of extremely high frequency, 1 GH3 or more, and having wavelengths of from 1 mm to 30 cm.
microwave oven.

verb (used without object), mi·cro·waved, mi·cro·wav·ing.

to use a microwave oven.

verb (used with object), mi·cro·waved, mi·cro·wav·ing.

to cook, defrost, or otherwise prepare in a microwave oven.

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Origin of microwave

First recorded in 1930–35; micro- + wave

OTHER WORDS FROM microwave

mi·cro·wave·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby microwave

microtubule, microvasculature, microvillus, microvolt, microwatt, microwave, microwave background, microwave communication, microwave detector, microwave oven, microwave spectroscopy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to microwave

bake, zap, heat, nuke, melt

Example sentences from the Web for microwave

British Dictionary definitions for microwave

microwave
/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊˌweɪv) /

noun

  1. electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.001 metres: used in radar, cooking, etc
  2. (as modifier)microwave generator
short for microwave oven

verb (tr)

to cook in a microwave oven
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

Medical definitions for microwave

microwave
[ mī′krə-wāv′, -krō- ]

n.

A high-frequency electromagnetic wave, one millimeter to one meter in wavelength, intermediate between infrared and shortwave radio wavelengths.

v.

To cook or heat using microwaves.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for microwave

microwave
[ mī′krō-wāv′ ]

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. See more at electromagnetic spectrum.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.