carrier wave
UK /ˈkæ.ɹɪ.ə weɪv/ · US /ˈkæ.ɹɪ.ɚ weɪv/ noun
Forms carrier waves
- noun (physics) A wave that can be modulated, either in amplitude, frequency, or phase, to carry or transmit images, music, speech, or other signals.
- noun (mathematics, physics, obsolete) Synonym of soliton (“a self-reinforcing pulse or travelling wave caused by any non-linear effect”).
Synonyms
Etymology
From carrier + wave. Sense 2 (“soliton”) was coined by the Scottish civil engineer, naval architect, and shipbuilder John Scott Russell (1808–1882): see the quotations.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “carrier wave”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details