shock wave

American  

noun

1. a region of abrupt change of pressure and density moving as a wave front at or above the velocity of sound, caused by an intense explosion or supersonic flow over a body.

2. a repercussion from a startling event or upheaval; series of aftereffects.

   shock waves from the recent collapse of one of the nation's largest banks.

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shock wave British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: shock. a region across which there is a rapid pressure, temperature, and density rise, usually caused by a body moving supersonically in a gas or by a detonation See also sonic boom shock tube

2. a feeling of shock, horror, surprise, etc that affects many people as it spreads through a community

3. the effect created on a queue of moving cars in the lane of a motorway when one car brakes suddenly and the cars behind have to brake as well, causing cars to slow down, sometimes for miles behind the first braking car

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shock wave Scientific  

1. A large-amplitude wave formed by the sudden compression of the medium through which the wave moves. Shock waves can be caused by explosions or by objects moving through a fluid at a speed greater than the speed of sound.

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Etymology

Origin of shock wave

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shock wave

When he didn’t, instead landing on the injured list for two weeks, Skubal’s smooth transition turned what could have been a shock wave of a loss for the rotation into barely a tremor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

High-intensity laser therapy and shock wave therapy produced benefits in certain areas.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

Appetite for insect protein is early evidence of an El Niño shock wave across pockets of the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Some advanced treatments, such as high-intensity laser therapy and shock wave therapy, provided moderate improvements.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 30, 2026

But her mother had woken up when the shock wave from the eruption rolled through Seattle.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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