gravitational wave

noun

: a disturbance in space-time in the form of a wave that propagates the gravitational field
Gravitational waves are a natural offshoot of the rubber-sheet construction of general relativity. Just as a massive object sitting on the fabric of spacetime creates a dimple, so moving or changing objects, under certain conditions, create wrinkles in the fabric. Those wrinkles, tiny distortions in spacetime, zoom away at the speed of light. Because these gravitational waves carry energy, anything emitting them will lose a tiny bit of its speed.Science

Examples of gravitational wave in a Sentence

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The probes will follow more than 30 million miles behind Earth as our planet orbits the sun while relaying signals back and forth that, when combined, search for gravitational wave signatures. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024 This in turn would make for less energetic gravitational waves, Alonso-Álvarez said. Quanta Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 The trio of space probes will detect and measure gravitational waves originating from places such as smaller stellar mass black holes orbiting supermassive black holes. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024 Projects have been proposed to use an orbital constellation of optical atomic clocks to support the search for dark matter and dark energy, detect low-frequency gravitational waves with unprecedented accuracy and probe the fundamental limits of general relativity. Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gravitational wave 

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gravitational wave was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near gravitational wave

Cite this Entry

“Gravitational wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravitational%20wave. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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