Dear Hemant,

So waves are everywhere. But what makes a wave a wave? What characteristics, properties, or behaviors are shared by the phenomena that we typically characterize as being a wave? How can waves be described in a manner that allows us to understand their basic nature and qualities?

A wave can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another location. Consider a slinky wave as an example of a wave. When the slinky is stretched from end to end and is held at rest, it assumes a natural position known as the equilibrium or rest position. The coils of the slinky naturally assume this position, spaced equally far apart. To introduce a wave into the slinky, the first particle is displaced or moved from its equilibrium or rest position. The particle might be moved upwards or downwards, forwards or backwards; but once moved, it is returned to its original equilibrium or rest position. The act of moving the first coil of the slinky in a given direction and then returning it to its equilibrium position creates a disturbance in the slinky. We can then observe this disturbance moving through the slinky from one end to the other. If the first coil of the slinky is given a single back-and-forth vibration, then we call the observed motion of the disturbance through the slinky a slinky pulse. A pulse is a single disturbance moving through a medium from one location to another location. However, if the first coil of the slinky is continuously and periodically vibrated in a back-and-forth manner, we would observe a repeating disturbance moving within the slinky that endures over some prolonged period of time. The repeating and periodic disturbance that moves through a medium from one location to another is referred to as a wave.

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. one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
 2. a movement like that of a sudden occurrence or increase in a specified phenomenon
a wave of settlers; troops advancing in waves
 3. (physics) a movement up and down or back and forth
 4. something that rises rapidly
a wave of emotion swept over him; there was a sudden wave of buying before the market closed; a wave of conservatism in the country led by the hard right
 5. the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
 6. a hairdo that creates undulations in the hair
 7. an undulating curve
 8. a persistent and widespread unusual weather condition (especially of unusual temperatures)
a heat wave
 9. a member of the women''s reserve of the United States Navy; originally organized during World War II but now no longer a separate branch
wave ~ verb    common
 1. signal with the hands or nod
She waved to her friends; He waved his hand hospitably
 2. move or swing back and forth
She waved her gun
 3. move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
The curtains undulated; the waves rolled towards the beach
 4. twist or roll into coils or ringlets
curl my hair, please
 5. set waves in
she asked the hairdresser to wave her hair