Radiowave

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An electromagnetic wave with a long wavelength, used to carry signals for radio broadcasting and communication
2. A type of electromagnetic energy oscillating at radio frequencies that transmits sound and data through the air
3. Long-wavelength electromagnetic radiation employed to send broadcasts, messages and other signals across distances

Etymology: A radiowave is, at heart, a compound of two plain English words: "radio" and "wave." The solid-closed spelling is simply an alternative to the two-word form "radio wave," and the same noun underlies both. The modern sense of "radio" as wireless transmission comes from the Latin "radius," meaning a ray or spoke of a wheel, which entered scientific use in the late nineteenth century when physicists began describing the invisible rays and waves they were producing and detecting. The word "wave" has a much older English history, descending from Old English "wæg" and ultimately tied to the idea of moving water, so the compound joins a classical root for radiating energy with a Germanic word for an undulating motion. Combining these two elements produced a term that describes electromagnetic oscillation traveling through space without any physical medium.