sound wave

noun

1

: sound entry 1 sense 1a

2

sound waves plural : longitudinal pressure waves in any material medium regardless of whether they constitute audible sound

earthquake waves and ultrasonic waves are sometimes called sound waves

Examples of sound wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, a model from South-Central Minzu University achieved 96% accuracy in detecting depression based on vocal changes, and another study from Sorbonne University is analyzing sound waves via smartphone apps to diagnose psychiatric disorders. —Anisha Sircar, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

This then works like an acoustic pipette, blasting the mixture with sound waves. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024

Merrill and his coauthors discovered plastic debris in the water has an acoustic signature similar to that of dead squid, the primary prey for certain whale species that use sound waves to hunt for food. —Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024

During those first 380,000 years, small changes in the density of the electron-proton-light plasma that filled space spread as sound waves, just as sound propagates through the air in a room. —Marc Kamionkowski, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

sound wave

noun

1

: sound sense 1

2

sound waves plural : longitudinal pressure waves especially when transmitting audible sound