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

These electrodes will sense and record brain wave activity as clicks sound through earphones.18 Caloric stimulation: This test can detect damage to the acoustic nerve, which helps control balance and hearing. —Yuliya Klochan, Health, 19 June 2024

There are other wearables on the market that monitor brain waves and, through biofeedback, encourage users to actively modify their alpha patterns. —IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024

The most remarkable finding, Stephan says, is that these people showed pockets of arousal in the form of fast brain waves during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. —Francine Russo, Scientific American, 7 June 2024

Smiling proved even more powerful in aligning brain waves. —Quanta Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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