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wavefront

British  
/ ˈweɪvˌfrʌnt /

noun

  1. physics a surface associated with a propagating wave and passing through all points in the wave that have the same phase. It is usually perpendicular to the direction of propagation

"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

Example Sentences

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The photonic lantern divides the incoming light into multiple channels based on how the light wavefront is shaped, much like separating the notes of a musical chord.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2025

"Even with adaptive optics, the photonic lantern was so sensitive to the wavefront fluctuations that I had to develop a new data processing technique to filter out the remaining atmospheric turbulence."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2025

First, a wavefront of ions races across the transistor.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2024

As the wavefront strikes the mirror, wavelets are first emitted from the left part of the mirror and then the right.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

A wavefront is the long edge that moves, for example, the crest or the trough.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

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