Wavy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈweɪvi/

Definitions

1. Having a series of smooth, flowing curves that rise and fall in a regular pattern
2. Having a form marked by gentle, undulating curves that mimic the motion of waves
3. Featuring a smooth series of gentle curves that rise and fall in a flowing manner ; displaying a shape or pattern that resembles the motion or shape of waves

Etymology: "Wavy" is a plain formation: the noun "wave" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y," which English has attached to countless nouns to mean "having the qualities of" or "full of" the base. Old English "wæg" (the root of "wave") ancestor word meant something moving or flowing, and English "wave" as a noun for a moving swell of water is the sense from which everything here descends. The suffix does the interesting work. Adding "-y" to a noun usually produces a descriptive adjective, as with "sandy," "leafy," or "rainy," so "wavy" simply means having waves. Heraldry shows the same pattern in a more specific form: the arms of the Enz district in Germany feature a "fess wavy" in blue, a horizontal band with a wavy edge representing the Enz river.

Synonyms: curly, serpentine, undulating

Antonyms: straight, flat, level