Airwave

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A frequency band that enables the transmission of data or sound signals through electromagnetic radiation occurs in the atmosphere
2. A specific radio frequency used to broadcast audio or data signals through the atmosphere
3. A portion of the radio spectrum allocated for sending audio or other communications via electromagnetic waves

Etymology: "Airwave" is a plain compound of "air" and "wave," and its history is simple. The word "air" comes from Latin "aer," borrowed into Middle English through Old French, while "wave" is an older Germanic word from Old English "wæf" or a related form, referring to a moving swell or ridge. Joined together, the pair describes waves travelling through the air rather than across water. The sense of the compound shifted with technology. Once radio signals were understood to move as electromagnetic waves through the atmosphere, "airwaves" came to name the invisible channels carrying broadcasts, and the plural form became the usual way to refer to them. The term is most often heard in the phrase "on the airwaves," meaning being broadcast on radio.

Synonyms: frequency, radio wave, signal, transmission, broadcast