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P wave

American

[pee weyv] / ˈpi ˌweɪv /

noun

Geology.

a longitudinal earthquake wave that travels through the interior of the earth and is usually the first conspicuous wave to be recorded by a seismograph.

P wave Scientific

See primary wave

Etymology

Origin of P wave

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This superrotation was gradually realigning the seismic wave paths with a north-south axis in the inner core known to boost P wave speeds.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 30, 2022

This has the effect of creating a cone-shaped P wave shadow zone on parts of the other side of the Earth from the focus.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

The major features are labeled P, Q, R, S, and T. The P wave is generated by the depolarization and contraction of the atria as they pump blood into the ventricles.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Recognizable points on the ECG include the P wave that corresponds to atrial depolarization, the QRS complex that corresponds to ventricular depolarization, and the T wave that corresponds to ventricular repolarization.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The P wave is admitted to be the wave of auricular contraction.

From Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: with Chapters on Blood Pressure, 3rd Edition. by Warfield, Louis Marshall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023