microwaves

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of microwave.

   The hotel replaced the old microwaves in every room last spring.

   Microwaves heat food by making water molecules vibrate rapidly.

   Note

   Two quite different things share this plural. In physics they are electromagnetic waves lying between infrared light and radio waves. In the kitchen they are appliances, because the noun there is a shortening of microwave oven. Both plurals are regular, so only context tells them apart: microwaves that heat food are radiation, and microwaves that need replacing are ovens.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of microwave.

   My roommate microwaves a bowl of soup whenever she gets home late.

   The café microwaves its pastries to order rather than baking them fresh.

   Note

   It has the same spelling as the plural noun, but here it is a transitive verb: someone microwaves something, usually food. A slang use stretches the idea to work put into action with minimal preparation. Someone who microwaves a plan skips the slow cooking and judges thorough groundwork unnecessary. Keep that sense for casual talk; the cooking sense is safe anywhere.

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