wave front

noun

, Physics.

1. a surface, real or imaginary, that is the locus of all adjacent points at which the phase of oscillation is the same.

wave front

1. The set of points in space reached by a wave or vibration at the same instant as the wave travels through a medium. Wave fronts generally form a continuous line or surface. The lines formed by crests of ripples on a pond, for example, correspond to curved wave fronts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of wave front¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Because as each wave front moves from air to water, it slows down.

From Project Gutenberg

The student will note that for the sake of greater precision we here say wave front instead of wave.

From Project Gutenberg

With a dense prism, the wave-front of the shorter waves is more tilted towards the base than the wave-front of the longer waves.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence the wave-front is flattened, the curvature of the refracted wave being less than that of the original wave of diffusion.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence the wave-front is tilted towards the base of the prism, and this tilting is repeated when the wave-front leaves the prism.

From Project Gutenberg