English Reference
Noun

waveform

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˈweɪvˌfɔɹm/ UK /wˈeɪvfɔːm/ wave·form UK spelling waveform's, waveform's Engineering Mathematics Physics

n.the shape of a sound or signal when you look at it on a screen. It shows how the sound changes over time, like a wave.

n.the shape of a wave representing a sound or other signal, typically displayed on an oscilloscope or similar device. Refers to the graphical representation of amplitude over time.


SIMPLE

The engineer adjusted the waveform to reduce the noise.

CONTEXTUAL

By analyzing the waveform of the electrical signal, the technician identified the source of the interference.

COMPLEX

The software allows users to manipulate the waveform directly, enabling precise editing of individual peaks and valleys within the audio track.

Watermarks like SynthID are encoded in the pixels of an image or video or in the waveform of an audio clip.

Ars Technica· 29 Jul 2026

From wave + form.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated