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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of shock wave

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The instrument is designed to measure the X-59's unique shock wave signature.

From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026

I struggled to regain my composure after the first shock wave pierced my heart.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

The scientists also detected a new shock wave forming and colliding along the jet, which they linked to trillion-electron-volt energy levels observed in an unusual gamma-ray signal detected in 2017.

From Science Daily • Oct. 14, 2025

Josh Sautter, president of the Encino Neighborhood Council, said the new evacuation orders sent a shock wave of panic through the community.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2025

It produced an atmospheric shock wave that twice circled the Earth.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan