ripple

¹

[ rip-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, rip·pled, rip·pling.

1. (of a liquid surface) to form small waves or undulations, as water agitated by a breeze.

   Synonyms: purl, undulate, wave

2. to flow with a light rise and fall or ruffling of the surface.
3. (of a solid surface) to form or have small undulations, ruffles, or folds.
4. (of sound) to undulate or rise and fall in tone, inflection, or magnitude.

verb (used with object)

, rip·pled, rip·pling.

1. to form small waves or undulations on; agitate lightly.

   Synonyms: dimple, curl, ruffle

2. to mark as if with ripples; give a wavy form to.

noun

1. a small wave or undulation, as on water.

   Synonyms: ruffle, wavelet

2. any similar movement or appearance; a small undulation or wave, as in hair.
3. a small rapid.
4. Geology. ripple mark.
5. a sound, as of water flowing in ripples:

   a ripple of laughter.

ripple

²

[ rip-uhl ]

noun

1. a toothed or comblike device for removing seeds or capsules from flax, hemp, etc.

verb (used with object)

, rip·pled, rip·pling.

1. to remove the seeds or capsules from (flax or hemp) with a ripple.

ripple

¹

/ ˈrɪpəl /

noun

1. a slight wave or undulation on the surface of water
2. a small wave or undulation in fabric, hair, etc
3. a sound reminiscent of water flowing quietly in ripples

   a ripple of laughter

4. electronics an oscillation of small amplitude superimposed on a steady value
5. See riffle
   another word for riffle
6. See ripple mark
   another word for ripple mark

verb

1. intr to form ripples or flow with a rippling or undulating motion
2. tr to stir up (water) so as to form ripples
3. tr to make ripple marks
4. intr (of sounds) to rise and fall gently

   her laughter rippled through the air

ripple

²

/ ˈrɪpəl /

noun

1. a special kind of comb designed to separate the seed from the stalks in flax, hemp, or broomcorn

verb

1. tr to comb with this tool

Derived Forms

• ˈripply, adjective
• ˈripplingly, adverb
• ˈrippler, noun
• ˈrippling, adjective
• ˈrippler, noun

Other Words From

• ripple·less adjective
• rippling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ripple¹

First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain

Origin of ripple²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; cognate with West Frisian ripel, Dutch repel, German Riffel

Word History and Origins

Origin of ripple¹

C17: perhaps from rip ¹

Origin of ripple²

C14: of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch repelen , Middle High German reffen to ripple

Synonym Study

See wave.

Example Sentences

Those ripples are called gravitational waves, or sometimes gravity waves.

From Science News For Students

In the United States, the news that Kai Sotto, the 65th-ranked player in the high school class of 2020, would be joining the NBA’s G League caused barely a ripple.

From Ozy

To look past the line-item spending and into the core concern — the economic price tag thrust onto society and its ripple effects.

From Ozy

If vCA1 cells are the tiny ripples after throwing a rock into water, then the additional wave circuit around them are the rippling waves.

From Singularity Hub 

Add gravitons into the mix, however, and you add a new motion on top of the usual ripples in space-time.

From Quanta Magazine

Analysts interpreted it as an immediate ripple effect of the newly established US-Cuban détente.

From The Daily Beast

And sending Cary to prison has a ripple effect for all of these characters.

From The Daily Beast

Playing in her yard one day, she saw “a ripple, a disturbance of the air … My first thought is that I have seen the devil.”

From The Daily Beast

The heat creates mirages with waves that ripple through the air.

From The Daily Beast

There was a ripple of assent in the crowd as the word spread.

From The Daily Beast

This was said with a comical air of doubt, and a half smile, which sent a ripple of laughter over the charming face.

From Project Gutenberg

All was silent; a fresh breeze swept over the clear lake whose every ripple had the gracious curve of a smile.

From Project Gutenberg

He thought he heard the ripple of waves on a sunlit shore, and of wide-spreading trees which grew close to the edge of the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Suddenly it ceased raining; and, looking about them, they saw that the lake was perfectly quiet—not a ripple could be seen.

From Project Gutenberg

You see that there the ocean tides and the currents of the river meet and cause a constant ripple.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Ripple

What does ripple mean?

A ripple is a small wave, ruffle, or wrinkle on the surface of something, such as water, fabric, clouds, or hair.

A raindrop causes ripples in a puddle. A soft gust of wind can cause ripples on the surface of a lake, on the surface of a sheet hanging from a clothesline, or through the tall grasses in the meadow. Ripples aren’t typically breaks in the surface where they appear—they are disturbances that change its shape momentarily.

The word can also be applied to waves or wrinkles involving intangible or abstract things, such as ripples of cause and effect. Much like the ripples that result from tossing a stone into a pond, one action causes many other things to happen in a kind of chain reaction known as a ripple effect. 

Ripple can also refer to a cascading sound, like that of rippling water, as in a ripple of laughter. 

More specifically, ripple can refer to a swirl of a particular ingredient in ice cream, such as caramel or chocolate. There are even some flavors whose name indicates what the ripple consists of, such as butterscotch ripple.  

Ripple is also used as a verb meaning to form or cause such waves, ruffles, or wrinkles, as in The wind rippled the surface of the river. It can also mean to gently flow or rise and fall.

Things with ripples in them can be described as rippled or ripply.

Example: I like to throw rocks into the still pond and see how far the ripples extend out.

Where does ripple come from?

The first records of the word ripple in reference to small waves or wrinkles come from the 1600s. It may derive from the verb rip, but its origin is uncertain.

The ripples that appear in a flat surface of water when you throw a pebble into it are often used as a metaphor for the effects of our actions in life—the ones that extend out beyond where we can observe them. Relatedly, reality is sometimes depicted as “fabric” that can be effected and rippled in this way.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of ripple?

• rippling (continuous tense verb, adjective)
• ripply (adjective)

What are some synonyms for ripple?

• wave
• wrinkle
• wavelet

What are some words that share a root or word element with ripple? 

• ripple effect
• ripplet
• riffle

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing ripple?

 

• water
• wind
• stone
• lake
• pond
• surface

How is ripple used in real life?

The word ripple is most commonly used in the context of small waves on surfaces like water, but it can be used in many different situations.

Dog, contemplative. Considering the beauty of ripples on the water(?) pic.twitter.com/wO2JJOwGG1

— Jen Geddes (@jageddes) October 19, 2020

When two objects orbit each other, they cause the very fabric of space-time to ripple. 💫 #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/zt1TeLP9gm

— NASA Universe (@NASAUniverse) October 19, 2020

Friends, please be compassionate to one another. Love each other. Be kind to one another. There is so much hurt in this world, and life is so very short. Our words and actions have such power and can have such a ripple effect upon others, so please choose love and compassion.

— Adriana Figueroa (@AdrianaFigueroa) September 1, 2020

 

Try using ripple!

On which of the following things can ripples sometimes be found?

A. water
B. fabric
C. clouds
D. all of the above