BRAINWAVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does brainwave mean? 

• BRAINWAVE (noun)
  The noun BRAINWAVE has 2 senses:

1. (neurophysiology) rapid fluctuations of voltage between parts of the cerebral cortex that are detectable with an electroencephalograph

2. the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation

  Familiarity information: BRAINWAVE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRAINWAVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(neurophysiology) rapid fluctuations of voltage between parts of the cerebral cortex that are detectable with an electroencephalograph

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

brain wave; brainwave; cortical potential

Hypernyms ("brainwave" is a kind of...):

bioelectricity (electric phenomena in animals or plants)

Domain category:

neurophysiology (the branch of neuroscience that studies the physiology of the nervous system)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brainwave"):

alpha rhythm; alpha wave (the normal brainwave in the electroencephalogram of a person who is awake but relaxed; occurs with a frequency of 8-12 hertz)

beta rhythm; beta wave (the normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person who is awake and alert; occurs with a frequency between 12 and 30 hertz)

delta rhythm; delta wave (the normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person in deep dreamless sleep; occurs with high voltage and low frequency (1 to 4 hertz))

theta rhythm; theta wave (the normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person who is awake but relaxed and drowsy; occurs with low frequency and low amplitude)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

brainstorm; brainwave; insight

Hypernyms ("brainwave" is a kind of...):

apprehension; discernment; savvy; understanding (the cognitive condition of someone who understands)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brainwave"):

light (mental understanding as an enlightening experience)

revelation (an enlightening or astonishing disclosure)

breakthrough; discovery; find (a productive insight)

flash (a sudden brilliant understanding)

 Context examples 

The rhythms of brainwaves between two people taking part in a conversation begin to match each other.

(Our Brains Synchronize during A Conversation, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The researchers found that contractions of the diaphragm muscle from a hiccup evoked a pronounced response in the brain's cortex—two large brainwaves followed by a third.

(Baby Hiccups Key to Brain Development, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The rhythms of brainwaves between two people taking part in a conversation begin to match each other, concludes a new study.

(Our Brains Synchronize during A Conversation, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

As the third brainwave is similar to that evoked by a noise, a newborn baby's brain may be able to link the 'hic' sound of the hiccup with the feel of the diaphragm muscle contraction.

(Baby Hiccups Key to Brain Development, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Thus, the rhythms of the brainwaves corresponding to the speaker and the listener adjust according to the physical properties of the sound of the verbal messages expressed in a conversation.

(Our Brains Synchronize during A Conversation, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Through electroencephalography (EEG) — a non-invasive procedure that analyses electrical activity in the brain — the scientists measured the movement of their brainwaves simultaneously and confirmed that their oscillations took place at the same time.

(Our Brains Synchronize during A Conversation, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)