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transverse

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

Transverse waves are waves that vibrate perpendicular to the direction of travel. This means that the waves move up and down, while the direction of travel is side to side.

Some examples of transverse waves include:

  • Light waves
  • Sound waves
  • Water waves

How can the word be used?

The transverse waves in a string are waves that travel perpendicular to the direction of the string.

transverse

Different forms of the word

Adjective:

lying across or at right angles to a main axis or plane.

Noun:

a transverse line, plane, or section.

Etymology

The word "transverse" comes from the Latin word "transversus", which means "turned across".

The first recorded use of the word "transverse" in English was in the 14th century.

The word "transverse" is a Latin word, and it is related to the Italian word "trasversale" and the Spanish word "transversal".

Question

What does transverse mean?