Microwave Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms microwave American [mahy-kroh-weyv] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌweɪv /

noun

1. an electromagnetic wave of extremely high frequency, 1 GH 3 or more, and having wavelengths of from 1 millimeter to 30 centimeters.

2. microwave oven.

verb (used without object)

microwaved, microwaving

1. to use a microwave oven.

verb (used with object)

microwaved, microwaving

1. to cook, defrost, or otherwise prepare in a microwave oven.

microwave British / ˈmaɪkrəʊˌweɪv /

noun

1. 1. electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.001 metres: used in radar, cooking, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      microwave generator

2. short for microwave oven

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. to cook in a microwave oven

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 microwave Scientific / mī′krō-wāv′ /

1. An electromagnetic wave with a frequency in the range of 100 megahertz to 30 gigahertz (lower than infrared but higher than other radio waves). Microwaves are used in radar, radio transmission, cooking, and other applications. Microwaves are generated naturally by many astronomical phenomena and are found in cosmic background radiation.

2. See more at electromagnetic spectrum

Other Word Forms

• microwaveable adjective

Etymology

Origin of microwave

First recorded in 1930–35; micro- + wave

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.

Back in the 2000s, trading firms invested in networks of microwave antennas to zip data more quickly between exchanges, along routes joining hubs such as Chicago and New York.

From The Wall Street Journal

To start, combine butter and semisweet chocolate chips in a large bowl and put them in the microwave to melt.

From Salon

TeraView has commercialized terahertz technology, a kind of radiation operating between microwaves and infrared.

From MarketWatch

Warm a slice in the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.

From Salon

“When I got out of it, it was like selling a child,” he told Arellano, adding: “That burrito of ours? You can just put it in the microwave, and it came out perfect.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bake
• zap

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.