body wave

noun

plural body waves
1
: hair or a hairstyle marked by loose curls of S-shaped waves
also : a hairstyling process for creating body waves
Permanents, which include body waves, add curl or body to naturally straight or very limp hair. Consumer Reports
2
: an earthquake vibration transmitted through the earth's interior compare surface wave

Examples of body wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are numerous perm types including spiral perms, beach wave perms, pin curl perms, body wave perms, and more. Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023 The 27 tests generated seismic signals whose ‘body wave’ magnitude ranged from 4.2 to 6.2. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'body wave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of body wave was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near body wave

Cite this Entry

“Body wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20wave. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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