body wave

noun

plural body waves

1

: hair or a hairstyle marked by loose curls of S-shaped waves

also : a hairstyling process for creating body waves

Permanents, which include body waves, add curl or body to naturally straight or very limp hair.

—Consumer Reports

2

: an earthquake vibration transmitted through the earth's interior compare surface wave

Examples of body wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More recently, the star returned to the original color-grade she was known for in the early 2000s, as she was spotted at this year’s Pre-Grammy Party in purple body waves and a graphic eye moment. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 10 Oct. 2024

Since then, she’s been seen in a heap of Japanese cosplay wigs, sharp asymmetrical cuts, and serpentine body waves. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 29 May 2024

There are numerous perm types including spiral perms, beach wave perms, pin curl perms, body wave perms, and more. —Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023

The 27 tests generated seismic signals whose ‘body wave’ magnitude ranged from 4.2 to 6.2. —Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 2