Wavelike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Moving in a smooth, undulating pattern that resembles the motion of water or other fluids in rhythmic up-and-down movements
2. Exhibiting a flowing and smooth motion that imitates the gentle rise and fall characteristic of waves
3. Characterized by a graceful oscillation similar to the way waves undulate across a surface

Etymology: Wavelike is about as plain as English compounds get: the noun "wave" with the suffix "-like" attached, meaning "resembling" or "having the form of" whatever the first part names. The suffix has a longer pedigree than the word it is attached to. It descends from a Proto-Germanic form meaning "body" or "appearance," which passed through Old English "-līc" and Middle English "-like" before settling into the productive ending we use today, one that English speakers can attach to almost any noun. "Wave" itself is an older and more deeply rooted word, inherited from Proto-Germanic, which is why the two halves of this compound have been fused together for centuries rather than arriving as a borrowing. The result is a word whose meaning is almost entirely transparent: it describes something that moves, curves, or rises and falls like water in the sea.

Synonyms: undulating, oscillatory

Antonyms: flat, static