brain wave

noun

plural brain waves
1
a
: rhythmic fluctuations of voltage between parts of the brain resulting in the flow of an electric current
b
: a current produced by brain waves
2
: a flash of inspiration : brainstorm sense 1a
We invited the Hill Holliday ad agency in Boston to collaborate on our cover shoot, and its creative director, Lance Jensen, had a brain wave: wouldn't it be eye-catching for our pages to reflect not just the editorial look of the '60s but also the advertising idiom of the time?Tina Brown

Examples of brain wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Neuro procedures are always the scariest, because the surgeons are basically poking around in a little black box and staring at brain waves and hoping their patients don’t wake up partially lobotomized. Laura Bradley, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 Looking for brain waves that match those resembling typical sleep patterns, according to the study published in Nature Medicine. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025 In REM sleep, brain waves are low in amplitude and relatively fast, and the eye movements are rapid, too. Beth Ann Malow, Discover Magazine, 24 Nov. 2024 Share [Findings] EEG experts disagreed on whether, in the future, brain waves could be used to read dreams and long-term memories. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brain wave

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of brain wave was in 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Brain wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brain%20wave. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

brain wave

noun
: rhythmic changes in voltage between parts of the brain

Medical Definition

brain wave

noun
1
: rhythmic fluctuations of voltage between parts of the brain resulting in the flow of an electric current
2
: a current produced by brain waves compare alpha wave, beta wave

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