wave
n. countablen. a moving line of water on the surface of the ocean or a lake. It can also be a movement of energy, like sound or light, that travels through the air.
n. a disturbance on the surface of a liquid body, typically caused by wind, or a periodic oscillation that transmits energy through a medium. Often used metaphorically to describe a sudden increase in a specific activity or emotion.
The surfers waited for a big wave to come.
A sudden wave of heat hit the city, causing many people to stay indoors during the afternoon.
Physicists describe light as both a particle and a wave, a dual nature that explains how it can travel through a vacuum while also interfering with other light sources.
Commonly used with the preposition 'of' when describing a sudden spread of a feeling or event, such as a 'wave of panic' or a 'wave of crime'.