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picowave

American  
[pee-kuh-weyv, pahy-] / ˈpi kəˌweɪv, ˈpaɪ- /

verb (used with object)

picowaved, picowaving

  1. to irradiate (food) with gamma rays in order to retard spoilage.

Etymology

Origin of picowave

1981–86; pico- + wave; cf. microwave

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 the 1980s, the term picowave was used to describe food irradiation in order to overcome public resistance by playing on the well-known safety of microwave radiation.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

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.