bow wave
Americannoun
-
the wave generated on either side of a vessel's bow by its forward movement through the water.
-
a type of shock wave formed in front of a body moving at supersonic speed.
Etymology
Origin of bow wave
First recorded in 1875–80
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.
It was the bow wave of a boom decade of growth the likes of which the city hadn’t seen since the gold rush.
From Seattle Times • May 11, 2024
Initially they kept their distance, but soon they grew bolder and came right under the boat, riding the bow wave, leaping and twisting right in front of us.
From BBC • Aug. 28, 2015
Just come out, take a bow, wave to the audience and that’s it.
From Washington Times • Dec. 28, 2014
So they come and go, racing against the red bow pushing through the underwater, taking turns, propelled by the bow wave.
From Scientific American • Aug. 9, 2013
The lifeboat slid off the bow wave and missed the tanker by less than two feet.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
