waves

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of wave.

   Tall waves battered the harbor wall throughout the night.

   Sound waves travel faster through water than through air.

   Note

   One spelling, two jobs: waves is also the verb form in she waves, so position tells them apart. After an article or adjective (the waves, sound waves) it is the noun; after a singular subject it is the verb. The plural carries every sense of the noun, from water and physics to wavy shapes, and even names several species of geometrid moths at once.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of wave.

   He waves goodbye whenever the bus pulls away.

   The crowd waves banners as the home team takes the field.

   Note

   Whether an object follows changes the meaning. Without one, a flag waves in the wind or a friend waves goodbye. With one, someone waves a banner, waves a taxi over, or, as a stylist does, waves hair into a wavy texture. The spelling is shared with the plural noun, so a singular subject before it (she, the crowd) marks the verb.

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