The wake of a ship or boat. Obsolete.

transferred. Anything compared to the wake of a vessel. The disturbance caused by a body swimming, or moved, in water.

The breaking of waves on a coast or over a vessel; hence, the nautical phr. clean, clear breach.

(see quot.).

A wave or wind from the south-west. rare.

(a) Nautical the wave set up at the bows of a ship under way; (b) transferred a shock wave produced in front of a body passing through the air.

a wave on the surface of a liquid in which the dominant force is gravity rather than surface tension; also, a wave in the atmosphere propagated…

(see quot. 1948).

(a) = gravity wave n. at gravity, n. compounds 2; (b) a periodic variation in gravitational field-strength which is propagated through space (the…

Meteorology and Oceanography. Kelvin wave n. a type of long, non-dispersive gravity wave in the ocean or atmosphere which is trapped against a…

The curved plume, as of water, dirt, or snow, thrown up behind a vehicle, skier, etc.

Surfing. A ride across the face of a wave (see quot. 1963); a wave suitable for this.

(a) Physics the shock wave formed in front of an object moving at or near supersonic speed through a fluid medium; cf. bow-wave n. at compounds 3…

Used occasionally in various (chiefly slang) senses (see quots.).