wave

CEFRA2

/weɪv/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A raised line of water that moves across the surface.

  2. 02

    verb

    To move your hand from side to side as a greeting.

Examples

  • A big wave swept the man off the boat.

  • The earthquake created a tremendous sea wave.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /wæɪv/
  • /wev/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings
  1. To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate.

  2. To move one's hand back and forth (generally above the shoulders) in greeting or departure.

verb

Extra meaning
  1. To move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat loosely.

More examples

In context
  • A cold wave passed over Japan.

  • I waved goodbye from across the room.

  • The flag waved in the gentle breeze.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The experienced surfer rode the huge ocean blank towards the shore carefully.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English waven, from Old English wafian (“to wave, fluctuate, waver in mind, wonder”), from Proto-West Germanic *wabōn, from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, *wabjaną (“to wander, sway”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to move to and from, wander”). Cognate with Middle High German waben (“to wave”), German wabern (“to waft”), Icelandic váfa (“to fluctuate, waver, doubt”). See also waver.