undulate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to move with a sinuous or wavelike motion; display a smooth rising-and-falling or side-to-side alternation of movement.
The flag undulates in the breeze.
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to have a wavy form or surface; bend with successive curves in alternate directions.
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(of a sound) to rise and fall in pitch.
the wail of a siren undulating in the distance.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to move in waves.
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to give a wavy form to.
adjective
verb
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to move or cause to move in waves or as if in waves
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to have or provide with a wavy form or appearance
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonundulate adjective
- undulator noun
Etymology
Origin of undulate
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin undulātus waved, equivalent to und(a) “wave” + -ul(a) -ule + -ātus -ate 1
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.
Cabbages, namely their undulating cross-section patterns, have appeared as designs in outerwear and accessories.
From Salon
In the area with cold plunging and a sauna, the walls undulate with patterns that change color, designed to evoke arctic caves and volcanic rock.
From Los Angeles Times
The arrows undulated again, and with every step he took, they led the way to the dead end of the hall.
From Literature
Keeping one arm around Abby’s waist, he got to his hands and knees and began crawling forward on the undulating ground.
From Literature
But a handful still survive — routes that don’t carve a straight line but follow the meandering, undulating contours of the land.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
