Webster's English Dictionary

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wave

Cross references:
  1. swing                 
 
1. wave \'wa-v\ vb [ME waven, fr. OE wafian to wave with the hands; akin to 
   OE w<]a-e>-fre restless - more at WAVER 1: to float, play, or shake in an 
   air current : move loosely to and fro  : FLUTTER 2: to motion with the 
   hands or with something held in them in signal or sa lute of water  3: to 
   move in waves : HEAVE  4: to become moved or brandished to and fro  5: to 
   move before the wind with a wavelike motion {field of waving  grain} 6: to 
   follow a curving line or take a wavy form : UNDULATE  1: to swing 
   (something) back and forth or up and down  2: to impart a curving or 
   undulating shape to  3a: to motion to (someone) to go in an indicated 
   direction or to stop :  FLAG, SIGNAL {waved him aside} 3b: to gesture with 
   (the hand or an object) in greeting or farewell or in  homage 3c: to convey 
   by waving {waved farewell}  4: BRANDISH, FLOURISH {waved a pistol 
   menacingly}  - wav.er n
2. wave n often attrib  1a: a moving ridge or swell on the surface of a 
   liquid (as of the sea)  1b: open water  2a: a shape or outline having 
   successive curves  2b: a waviness of the hair  2c: an undulating line or 
   streak or a pattern formed by such lines  3: something that swells and dies 
   away : as  3a: a surge of sensation or emotion  3b: a movement sweeping 
   large numbers in a common direction : CONTAGIO N 3c: a peak or climax of 
   activity {~ of buying}  4: a sweep of hand or arm or of some object held in 
   the hand used as a sign al or greeting 5: a rolling or undulatory movement 
   or one of a series of such movements pa ssing along a surface or through 
   the air 6: a movement like that of an ocean wave : as  6a: one of a 
   succession of influxes of people migrating into a region  6b1: a moving 
   group of animals of one kind  6b2: a sudden rapid increase in a population  
   6c: a line of attacking or advancing troops or airplanes  7: a disturbance 
   or variation that transfers energy progressively from poin t to point in a 
   medium and that may take the form of an elastic deformation or of a 
   variation of pressure, electric or magnetic intensity, electric potential, 
   or temperature 8: a marked change in temperature : a period of hot or cold 
   weather  9: an undulating or jagged line constituting a graphic 
   representation of an  actionWave \'wa-v\ n [Women Accepted for Volunteer 
   Emergency Service] : a woman serving in the navy