wakes
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈweɪks// UK //wˈeɪks// wakes
n. the waves or tracks left behind a boat or ship as it moves through the water.
n. the track of waves or disturbed water left behind a moving vessel.
The small boat rocked in the wakes of the passing ships.
Swimmers should stay away from the wakes of large motorboats to avoid being pulled under by the current.
As the ocean liner accelerated, its massive wakes crashed against the harbor walls, causing smaller docked vessels to strain against their mooring lines.
Usage
Usually used in the plural when referring to the physical waves; the singular 'wake' is more common in the metaphorical sense of 'following after'.