longitudinal wave

noun

, Physics.

1. a wave in which the direction of displacement is the same as the direction of propagation, as a sound wave.

longitudinal wave

noun

1. a wave that is propagated in the same direction as the displacement of the transmitting medium Compare transverse wave

longitudinal wave

1. A wave that oscillates back and forth on an axis that is the same as the axis along which the wave propagates. Sound waves are longitudinal waves, since the air molecules are displaced forward and backward on the same axis along which the sound travels.
2. Compare transverse waveSee more at wave

Word History and Origins

Origin of longitudinal wave¹

First recorded in 1930–35