Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In mathematics, a wave whose length is less than that for which the velocity of propagation is a minimum.
  • To clean or remove the seeds or capsules from, as from the stalks of flax.
  • noun 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.
  • noun The light fretting or ruffling of the surface of water; a little curling wave; an undulation.
  • noun A sound like that of water running over a stony bottom: as, a ripple of laughter.
  • 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.
  • To make a sound as of water running over a rough bottom: as, laughter rippling pleasantly.
  • To fret or agitate lightly, as the surface of water; form in small waves or undulations; curl.
  • To mark with or as with ripples. See ripple-mark.
  • noun Same as rip.
  • noun A small coppice.
  • noun 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).
  • To scratch or break slightly; graze.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An implement, with teeth like those of a comb, for removing the seeds and seed vessels from flax, broom corn, etc.
  • intransitive verb 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.
  • intransitive verb To make a sound as of water running gently over a rough bottom, or the breaking of ripples on the shore.
  • transitive verb To remove the seeds from (the stalks of flax, etc.), by means of a ripple.
  • transitive verb Hence, to scratch or tear.
  • transitive verb To fret or dimple, as the surface of running water; to cover with small waves or undulations.
  • noun The fretting or dimpling of the surface, as of running water; little curling waves.
  • noun A little wave or undulation; a sound such as is made by little waves.
  • noun (Bot.) See Ribwort.
  • noun a system of parallel ridges on sand, produced by wind, by the current of a steam, or by the agitation of wind waves; also (Geol.), a system of parallel ridges on the surface of a sandstone stratum.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A moving disturbance or undulation in the surface of a liquid.
  • noun A sound similar to that of undulating water.
  • noun A style of ice cream in which flavors have been coarsely blended together.
  • noun electronics A small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal.
  • verb To move like the undulating surface of a body of water; to undulate.
  • verb To propagate like a moving wave.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise
  • noun (electronics) an oscillation of small amplitude imposed on top of a steady value
  • verb stir up (water) so as to form ripples
  • noun a small wave on the surface of a liquid

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English rypelen, frequentative of rippen 'to rip'. More at rip.

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