shortwave

noun, often attributive
short·​wave | \ ˈshȯrt-ˌwāv How to pronounce shortwave (audio) \

Definition of shortwave

1 : a radio wave having a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters
2 : a radio transmitter or receiver using shortwaves
3 : electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength equal to or less than that of visible light

Examples of shortwave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Newsrooms were later stocked with shortwave radio sets to speed up reporting of far-off events, according to a company history. Rachel Siegel, BostonGlobe.com, "Gannett merger marks shift for troubled American newspaper giant," 5 Aug. 2019 In that remote location, most news came to us by shortwave radio. orlandosentinel.com, "Letters: Readers share memories of historic 1969 moon landing," 20 July 2019 Fronts or shortwave systems often provide the lift to set off bigger batches of storms. Leigh Morgan, al.com, "Isolated strong storms possible every day through Thursday for parts of Alabama," 17 June 2019 But here’s an excerpt: Examiners can find prints using shortwave ultraviolet light, fluorescent dyes, and a ridiculous tool that vaporizes superglue. Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Technology of Pipe Bombs and Suspicious Packages, Explained," 25 Oct. 2018 DigitalGlobe released the color, near-infrared and shortwave infrared resolution imagery via tweet the following day, June 4. Doris Elin Salazar, Space.com, "See Lava Flows from Hawaii's Kilauea Change Paths in New Satellite Photos," 12 June 2018 The 11-minute shortwave radio conversation with Tingle — orbiting the Earth aboard the International Space Station — was the biggest thing to hit Parkside Intermediate School in some time. Steve Rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Orbiting astronaut talks life in space with San Bruno students via ham radio," 7 Mar. 2018 Spokesman Mahajan said RFA’s programming for Myanmar would remain available on its website, on Facebook and YouTube and on shortwave radio, and its reporters will continue to work in the country. Washington Post, "US broadcaster loses Myanmar outlet over Rohingya name," 11 June 2018 Sirhan also dabbled in shortwave radio and had a set in his room at home. Tom Jackman, Washington Post, "The assassination of Bobby Kennedy: Was Sirhan Sirhan hypnotized to be the fall guy?," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shortwave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of shortwave

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for shortwave

shortwave

noun

English Language Learners Definition of shortwave

: a radio wave with a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters
: a radio or receiver that uses shortwaves

shortwave

noun
short·​wave | \ ˈshȯrt-ˈwāv How to pronounce shortwave (audio) \

Medical Definition of shortwave

1 : a radio wave having a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters
2 : electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength equal to or less than that of visible light