shortwave

noun

short·​wave ˈshȯrt-ˌwāv How to pronounce shortwave (audio)
often attributive
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 Amateur radio operators, who are licensed by the federal government in the U.S. and elsewhere, span the globe and use shortwave radio bands to broadcast messages and talk to each other. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2024 The other track involves building a radio receiver at home and tuning it, on the day of the eclipse, to a shortwave station called WWV, broadcast from Fort Collins, Colo. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 Non-toxic quantum dots for CMOS shortwave infrared image sensors for consumer electronics. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 Upon successfully passing the Technician examination, operators earn the privilege to operate on all VHF/UHF amateur bands and a few privileges on the HF (shortwave) bands. Craig Caudill, Field & Stream, 5 Oct. 2023 If truth was able to penetrate the Iron Curtain and reach the likes of Tolkachev, who never left the country and had no access to the outside world apart from shortwave radio, Mr. Putin won’t be able to extinguish truth in the digital age. Douglas London, WSJ, 23 Mar. 2022 The global news channel deployed old and new technologies side by side: shortwave radio, the medium of choice for international broadcasters since the 1920s, was combined with feeds on digital and social media channels. Simon J. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2023 At the same time, an approaching shortwave, or high-altitude pocket of cold air, low pressure and spin nestled within a weak dip in the jet stream, will swing out of the northwest and slip over the surface low. Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023 For those without access to their own shortwave radio, and ideally a software defined radio, Composition No. 3 will be simulcast online. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shortwave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortwave was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near shortwave

Cite this Entry

“Shortwave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortwave. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shortwave

noun
short·​wave ˈshȯrt-ˈwāv How to pronounce shortwave (audio)
: a radio wave with a wavelength between 10 and 100 meters

Medical Definition

shortwave

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

More from Merriam-Webster on shortwave

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