sine wave

American

noun

Physics.

a periodic oscillation, as simple harmonic motion, having the same geometric representation as a sine function.

sine wave British

noun

any oscillation, such as a sound wave or alternating current, whose waveform is that of a sine curve

"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

Etymology

Origin of sine wave

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

Fosse suggests, through the Emcee, that though the West’s relationship to queerness may bear the pattern of a sine wave, the Grande Human Cabaret can never metaphorically or spiritually close.

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2025

“I said, ’Cause, man, No. 1: we sculpt an electronic signal into a sine wave that’s smooth, or a sawtooth, which is rough.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2024

One model put forth in 1990 assumed riders rock backward and forward at a constant frequency in simple sinusoidal motion—meaning the movement makes the shape of a sine wave in time.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 6, 2023

Periodic functions are repeating patterns like the undulations of a sine wave in trigonometry.

From New York Times • Mar. 20, 2018

He draws a spiral punctured by a sine wave.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023