to move up and down or back and forth in a curving or undulating motion; swing, sway, or flutter to and fro: said of flexible things free at one end: flags waving in the breeze
to signal by moving a hand, arm, light, etc. to and fro
to have the form of a series of curves or undulations: hair that waves naturally
transitive verb
to cause to wave, undulate, or sway to and fro
to swing or brandish (a weapon)
to move or swing (something) as a signal; motion with (the hand, arms, etc.)
to signal (something) by doing this: to wave farewell
to signal or signify something to (someone) by doing this: he waved us on
to give an undulating form to; make sinuous: to wave one's hair
noun
a ridge or swell moving along the surface of a liquid or body of water as a result of disturbance, as by wind
an undulation or series of undulations in or on a surface, such as that caused by wind over a field of grain
a curve or series of curves or curls, as in the hair
an appearance of undulation, by reflection of light, on watered fabric
a motion to and fro or up and down, such as that made by the hand in signaling
something like a wave in action or effect; specif.,
an upsurge or rise, as to a crest, or a progressively swelling manifestation: a crime wave, heat wave, wave of emotion, etc.
a movement of people, etc., in groups or masses, which recedes or grows smaller before subsiding or being followed by another: a wave of immigrants
Old Poet. water; esp., the sea or other body of water
Physics a periodic motion or disturbance consisting of a series of many oscillations that propagate through a medium or space, as in the propagation of sound or light: the medium does not travel outward from the source with the wave but only vibrates as it passes