MICROWAVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does microwave mean? 

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

1. a short electromagnetic wave (longer than infrared but shorter than radio waves); used for radar and microwave ovens and for transmitting telephone, facsimile, video and data

2. kitchen appliance that cooks food by passing an electromagnetic wave through it; heat results from the absorption of energy by the water molecules in the food

  Familiarity information: MICROWAVE used as a noun is rare.

• MICROWAVE (verb)
  The verb MICROWAVE has 1 sense:

1. cook or heat in a microwave oven

  Familiarity information: MICROWAVE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MICROWAVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A short electromagnetic wave (longer than infrared but shorter than radio waves); used for radar and microwave ovens and for transmitting telephone, facsimile, video and data

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

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

electromagnetic radiation; electromagnetic wave; nonparticulate radiation (radiation consisting of waves of energy associated with electric and magnetic fields resulting from the acceleration of an electric charge)

Holonyms ("microwave" is a part of...):

electromagnetic spectrum (the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves)

Derivation:

microwave (cook or heat in a microwave oven)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Kitchen appliance that cooks food by passing an electromagnetic wave through it; heat results from the absorption of energy by the water molecules in the food

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

microwave; microwave oven

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

kitchen appliance (a home appliance used in preparing food)

Derivation:

microwave (cook or heat in a microwave oven)

• MICROWAVE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they microwave    ... he / she / it microwaves   
Past simple: microwaved   
Past participle: microwaved   
-ing form: microwaving   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cook or heat in a microwave oven

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

micro-cook; microwave; nuke; zap

Context example:

You can microwave the leftovers

Hypernyms (to "microwave" is one way to...):

cook (transform and make suitable for consumption by heating)

Domain category:

cookery; cooking; preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs microwave the vegetables

Derivation:

microwave (kitchen appliance that cooks food by passing an electromagnetic wave through it; heat results from the absorption of energy by the water molecules in the food)

microwave (a short electromagnetic wave (longer than infrared but shorter than radio waves); used for radar and microwave ovens and for transmitting telephone, facsimile, video and data)

 Context examples 

A sterilization process that uses microwave radiation to kill microorganisms.

(Microwave Radiation Sterilization, NCI Thesaurus)

Another surprise comes from Juno’s Microwave Radiometer (MWR), which samples the thermal microwave radiation from Jupiter’s atmosphere, from the top of the ammonia clouds to deep within its atmosphere.

(First Science Results from NASA’s Juno Mission, NASA)

A sterilization process that uses nonionizing radiation at frequencies between 300MHz and 300GHz in the microwave region to kill microorganisms.

(Microwave Radiation Sterilization, Food and Drug Administration)

A type of acupuncture in which a microwave device is attached to an acupuncture needle to give microwave radiation at an acupuncture point.

(Microwave acupuncture, NCI Dictionary)

With this wireless phone you are exposed to relatively strong microwaves.

(Health threats caused by mobile phone radiation, EUROPARL TV)

It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma rays.

(Electromagnetic radiation, NCI Dictionary)

The heat may come from electric currents, microwaves, radio waves, or ultrasound.

(Diathermy, NCI Dictionary)

In addition, it regulates radiation-emitting electronic products (medical and non-medical) such as lasers, x-ray systems, ultrasound equipment, microwave ovens and color televisions.

(Center for Devices and Radiological Health, NCI Thesaurus)

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 750 nanometers and 1 millimeter, between those of visible light and microwaves.

(Infrared Radiation, NCI Thesaurus)

The result is a powerful radio beacon — the microwave equivalent of a laser.

(NASA Team Probes Peculiar Age-Defying Star, NASA)