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Synonyms

sound wave

American  

noun

Physics.
sound waves plural
  1. a longitudinal wave in an elastic medium, especially a wave producing an audible sensation.


sound wave British  

noun

  1. a wave that propagates sound

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of sound wave

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

See Examples For:

It has been explained to BBC Sport that the technology used in Australia has a two-frame gap between the pictures and the sound wave.

From BBC Nov. 22, 2025

As such, one could say that life on Earth as we know it in some way originated from a sound wave.

From Salon Jun. 3, 2025

But in rare states of matter, heat can behave as a wave, moving back and forth somewhat like a sound wave that bounces from one end of a room to the other.

From Science Daily Feb. 8, 2024

“The sound wave, because it’s so big, can’t see fine detail,” says David Jourdan, an engineer whose company Nauticos has led three expeditions in search of Earhart.

From National Geographic Jan. 30, 2024

She believed mysterious people were trying to kill her with alien sound wave machines, so she would sleep in a tool shed to hide herself.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

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