ripple

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To form or display little undulations or waves on the surface, as disturbed water does.
2. v. To flow with such undulations or waves on the surface.
3. v. To rise and fall gently in tone or volume.
4. v. To cause to form small waves or undulations.
5. n. A small wave.
6. n. A wavelike motion; an undulation: the ripple of a flag.
7. n. A sound like that made by rippling water: a ripple of laughter.
8. n. A comblike, toothed instrument for removing seeds from flax and other fibers.
9. v. To remove seeds from with a comblike, toothed instrument.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A large comb or hatchel for separating the seeds or capsules from flax; also, in the United States, a toothed instrument for removing the seeds from broomcorn.
2. To clean or remove the seeds or capsules from, as from the stalks of flax.
3. To scratch or break slightly; graze.
4. To assume or wear a ruffled surface, as water when agitated by a gentle wind or by running over a stony bottom; be covered with small waves or undulations.
5. To make a sound as of water running over a rough bottom: as, laughter rippling pleasantly.
6. To fret or agitate lightly, as the surface of water; form in small waves or undulations; curl.
7. To mark with or as with ripples. See ripple-mark.
8. n. The light fretting or ruffling of the surface of water; a little curling wave; an undulation.
9. n. A sound like that of water running over a stony bottom: as, a ripple of laughter. Synonyms See wave.
10. n. A small coppice.
11. n. A weakness in the back and loins, attended with shooting pains: a form of tabes dorsualis, the same as Friedrich's ataxia (which see, under ataxia).
12. n. Same as rip.
13. n. In mathematics, a wave whose length is less than that for which the velocity of propagation is a minimum.

Wiktionary

1. n. A moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid.
2. n. A sound similar to that of undulating water.
3. n. A style of ice cream in which flavors have been coarsely blended together.
4. n. electronics A small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal.
5. v. To move like the undulating surface of a body of water; to undulate.
6. v. To propagate like a moving wave.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. An implement, with teeth like those of a comb, for removing the seeds and seed vessels from flax, broom corn, etc.
2. v. To remove the seeds from (the stalks of flax, etc.), by means of a ripple.
3. v. Hence, to scratch or tear.
4. v. To become fretted or dimpled on the surface, as water when agitated or running over a rough bottom; to be covered with small waves or undulations, as a field of grain.
5. v. To make a sound as of water running gently over a rough bottom, or the breaking of ripples on the shore.
6. v. To fret or dimple, as the surface of running water; to cover with small waves or undulations.
7. n. The fretting or dimpling of the surface, as of running water; little curling waves.
8. n. A little wave or undulation; a sound such as is made by little waves.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
2. n. (electronics) an oscillation of small amplitude imposed on top of a steady value
3. v. stir up (water) so as to form ripples
4. n. a small wave on the surface of a liquid