wavy

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈweɪvi/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪvi

Etymology 1

From wave +‎ -y.

The arms of the Enz district feature a fess wavy azure, for the Enz river.

Adjective

wavy (comparative wavier, superlative waviest)

1. rising or swelling in waves.

   wavy seas

2. Full of waves.

   wavy swimming pool

3. Moving to and fro; undulating.

   wavy bridge

4. Having wave-like shapes on its border or surface; waved.

   wavy hair

5. (botany, of a margin) Moving up and down relative to the surface; undulate.
6. (heraldry) Undé, in a wavy line; applied to ordinaries, or division lines, especially to symbolize a river.
   • 1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland: Forming an Extensive Ordinary of British Armorials; Upon an Entirely New Plan ..., page 708:

     Per pale erm. and az. a fess wavy gu.

   • 1893, James Balfour Paul, An Ordinary of Arms Contained in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, page 105:

     Parted per fess wavy gu. and arg.; over all a lion passant sa. pierced with a dagger ppr., hafted and pommelled of the second, the haft appearing between the shoulders and the point under the belly, tending towards the hind legs […]

7. (slang) Drunk.

Derived terms

• counterwavy
• handwavy
• wavy-leaved eremophila

 

Translations

rising or swelling in waves

• Bulgarian: вълнист (bg) (vǎlnist)
• Finnish: aaltoileva (fi), aallokkoinen (fi)
• French: ondulant (fr)
• Greek: κυματιστός (el) (kymatistós), κυματώδης (el) (kymatódis)
• Maori: pūngarungaru
• Romanian: unduios (ro)
• Spanish: ondulante (es), ondeante (es)
• Swedish: vågig (sv)

full of waves

• Finnish: aaltoileva (fi)
• Maori: pūngarungaru
• Middle English: crisp
• Romanian: unduios (ro)
• Spanish: undoso (es)
• Swedish: vågig (sv)
• Turkish: dalgalı (tr)

undulating

• Bulgarian: вълнообразен (bg) (vǎlnoobrazen)
• Finnish: aaltoileva (fi)
• French: ondulant (fr)
• Maori: pūngarungaru
• Russian: коле́блющийся (ru) (kolébljuščijsja)
• Spanish: ondulatorio (es)
• Swedish: vågig (sv)
• Turkish: dalgalı (tr)

waved

• Bulgarian: къдрав (bg) (kǎdrav)
• Finnish: aaltoileva (fi)
• French: ondulé (fr)
• Greek: κυματιστός (el) (kymatistós)
• Irish: dréimreach (of hair)
• Maori: māwhai (refers to hair), kapu māhora (referring to hair)
• Russian: волни́стый (ru) (volnístyj), волнообра́зный (ru) (volnoobráznyj)
• Spanish: ondulado (es)
• Swedish: vågig (sv)
• Turkish: dalgalı (tr)
• Ukrainian: хвиля́стий (xvyljástyj)

botany

• Finnish: aaltoileva (fi)

heraldry: undé, in a wavy line

• Finnish: aaltokoroinen
• French: ondé (fr) m
• German: Wellenschnitt m
• Italian: ondato (it) m
• Spanish: ondado
• Swedish: vågskura c (noun)

slang: drunk

• Finnish: seilissä

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Japanese: くねくねした (kunekune shita), ウエーブのかかった (uēbu no kakatta)

Etymology 2

See wavey.

Noun

wavy (plural wavies)

1. (possibly dated) Alternative form of wavey (goose).
   • 1862, The Zoologist: a popular miscellany of natural history, volume 20, page 7835:

     According to Indian report, a great breeding-ground for the blue wavy is the country lying in the interior of the north-east point of Labrador, Cape Dudley Digges.

   • 1888, Journals of the Senate of Canada, volume 22, Appendix 1, page 237:

     The blue and white wavies breed in the barren grounds and feed chiefly on berries.