wavelength
noun
wave·length
| \ ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th
\
\
Definition of wavelength
1
: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase
2
: a particular course or line of thought especially as related to mutual understanding
two people on different wavelengths
Examples of wavelength in a Sentence
Light and sound have different wavelengths.
Recent Examples on the Web
Its tight packing of 14-metre-wide dishes covers wavelengths from 50–250 MHz. — Davide Castelvecchi, Scientific American, "The Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Baby Universe," 26 Aug. 2019 The layers of gas give off the pink and purple wavelengths detected by the Hubble. — Fox News, "'Jellyfish' star found in deep space," 20 Aug. 2019 Those wavelengths can cause direct damage to our DNA, causing mutation and indirectly triggering free radicals that also damage proteins and DNA. — Kristen Granero, NBC News, "Sweating, chafing, chlorine: Solutions to summer's biggest hair and skin challenges," 18 Aug. 2019 Red wavelengths pass through air more easily than blue ones. — Randall Munroe, New York Times, "What Makes a Red Sky at Night (and at Morning)," 13 Aug. 2019 The various wavelengths combined provide a better understanding of the exoplanet. — Washington Post, "Amid protest, Hawaii astronomers lose observation time," 10 Aug. 2019 The red color appears because Spitzer detects infrared light and the red color in the image corresponds to an infrared wavelength typically emitted by dust, according to NASA. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "This sideways galaxy looks just like a lightsaber," 9 Aug. 2019 LightStim’s 72 LEDs emit UV-free wavelengths that penetrate the top layer of your skin. — Braelyn Wood, Health.com, "This FDA-Approved Light Therapy Device Is the Easiest Way to Reduce Wrinkles and Signs of Aging at Home," 19 July 2019 These movements change the light wavelength of the star, going between red and blue depending on the location of the planet. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Second exoplanet found around a curious star," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wavelength.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for wavelength
wavelength
noun
English Language Learners Definition of wavelength
technical
: the distance from one wave of energy to another as it is traveling from one point to another point
informal
—used especially in the phrases on the same wavelength and on a different wavelength to say that people share or do not share a way of thinking
See the full definition for wavelength in the English Language Learners Dictionary
wavelength
noun
wave·length
| \ ˈwāv-ˌleŋth
\
\
Kids Definition of wavelength
: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next similar point
wavelength
noun
wave·length
| \ -ˌleŋ(k)th
\
\
Medical Definition of wavelength
: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase
—symbol λ
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