microwave

mi-cro-wave · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A kitchen appliance that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range.

  2. 2.

    To cook or heat food using a microwave oven.

  3. 3.

    An electromagnetic wave with a wavelength between radio waves and infrared radiation, typically used in radar, telecommunications, and cooking.

Forms

plural: microwaves

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    microwave safe — able to be used in a microwave without damage
  • •
    nuke it — informal term for microwaving something

Related words

See also: cook, heat, oven, radiation
Synonyms: microwave oven

Etymology

Compound of micro- (from Greek mikros, "small") + wave. The term was first used in the 1930s for the electromagnetic waves, and the appliance meaning developed in the 1970s.