| Library / English Dictionary |
BRAINWAVE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation
Synonyms:
brainstorm; brainwave; insight
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("brainwave" is a kind of...):
apprehension; discernment; savvy; understanding (the cognitive condition of someone who understands)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brainwave"):
light (mental understanding as an enlightening experience)
revelation (an enlightening or astonishing disclosure)
breakthrough; discovery; find (a productive insight)
flash (a sudden brilliant understanding)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(neurophysiology) rapid fluctuations of voltage between parts of the cerebral cortex that are detectable with an electroencephalograph
Synonyms:
brain wave; brainwave; cortical potential
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("brainwave" is a kind of...):
bioelectricity (electric phenomena in animals or plants)
Domain category:
neurophysiology (the branch of neuroscience that studies the physiology of the nervous system)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "brainwave"):
alpha rhythm; alpha wave (the normal brainwave in the electroencephalogram of a person who is awake but relaxed; occurs with a frequency of 8-12 hertz)
beta rhythm; beta wave (the normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person who is awake and alert; occurs with a frequency between 12 and 30 hertz)
delta rhythm; delta wave (the normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person in deep dreamless sleep; occurs with high voltage and low frequency (1 to 4 hertz))
theta rhythm; theta wave (the normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person who is awake but relaxed and drowsy; occurs with low frequency and low amplitude)
