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.—
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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 
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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
Dictionary Entries Near gravitational wave
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“Gravitational wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravitational%20wave. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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