wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

2

: a particular course or line of thought especially as related to mutual understanding

two people on different wavelengths

Examples of wavelength in a Sentence

Light and sound have different wavelengths.

Recent Examples on the Web

The instrument is designed to capture information for every pixel in an image across multiple wavelengths of light. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024

Colors with shorter wavelengths, such as blues and violets, scatter more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, which include red and orange. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 29 Oct. 2024

The fingertip clamps doctors use to measure oxygen levels in the blood, for example, work by measuring the absorption of different wavelengths of light to estimate the blood oxygen level. —Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

With very tiny things like oxygen and nitrogen molecules, shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered more than longer wavelengths (like red and orange). —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance (as from crest to crest) in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next corresponding point

2

: a certain line of thought or behavior that reveals a common understanding

coworkers who are on the same wavelength

Medical Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length -ˌleŋ(k)th 

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

—symbol λ