brain wave

noun

plural brain waves

1

a

: rhythmic fluctuations of voltage between parts of the brain resulting in the flow of an electric current

b

: a current produced by brain waves

2

: a flash of inspiration : brainstorm sense 1a

We invited the Hill Holliday ad agency in Boston to collaborate on our cover shoot, and its creative director, Lance Jensen, had a brain wave: wouldn't it be eye-catching for our pages to reflect not just the editorial look of the '60s but also the advertising idiom of the time?

—Tina Brown

Examples of brain wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Low to medium doses show a reduction in the alpha frequency of brain waves (which correspond to relaxed and wakeful states), along with rising entropy, a signature finding of sober brains sinking deeper into a trip. —Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

Heart attack can lead to changes in sleep-promoting brain waves and immune cells that aid recovery, a new study suggests. —Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Brainstem auditory evoked potential studies: This test measures brain wave activity in response to clicks. —Yuliya Klochan, Health, 19 June 2024

The researchers’ previous work suggested that high-frequency brain waves encode sensory information and that lower frequencies represent control signals. —Simon Makin, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

brain wave

noun

: rhythmic changes in voltage between parts of the brain

Medical Definition

brain wave

noun

1

: rhythmic fluctuations of voltage between parts of the brain resulting in the flow of an electric current

2

: a current produced by brain waves compare alpha wave, beta wave