Waves

American

[weyvz] / weɪvz /

Or WAVES

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

the Women's Reserve of the U.S. Naval Reserve, the distinct force of women enlistees in the U.S. Navy, organized during World War II.

WAVES British

/ weɪvz /

acronym

Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service; the women's reserve of the US navy

"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 Waves

1942; W(omen) A(ccepted for) V(olunteer) E(mergency) S(ervice)

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.

Waves crash along the Palm Beach shoreline and a drone shot swoops over the grounds of Mar-a-Lago before landing at a pair of stilettos donned by Melania Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

Waves in any climate can reduce transit speed and lead to accidents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

The arrest followed a US extradition request received by Guyana on Thursday, according to the Demerara Waves news outlet.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

Waves crashed over the lens room 146 feet above the sea, and water cascaded down the circular stairs “like a waterfall,” Shelton said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2025

Waves of darkness rolled out of the chasm, turning Annabeth’s insides to jelly, but she couldn’t show her fear.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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