gravitational wave: Meaning and Definition of

gravita'tional wave'

Pronunciation: [key]
— Astron., Physics. Astron.,Physics.
  1. (in general relativity) a propagating wave of gravitational energy produced by accelerating masses, esp. during catastrophic events, as the gravitational collapse of massive stars. Also called
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.