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ripple

noun
/ˈɹɪp(ə)l/UK

Etymology

Compare German Low German Repel, Dutch repel, German Riffel, extended forms (with instrumental or diminutive -le) of Low German Repe (“ripple”), Dutch repe (“ripple”). Compare also Dutch repen, German reffen, Swedish repa (“to beat; ripple”). The verb is from Middle English ripplen, rypelen. Compare Low German repelen, Dutch repelen, German riffeln.

  1. inherited from *ripelen✻

Definitions

  1. A moving disturbance, or undulation, in the surface of a fluid.

    • I dropped a small stone into the pond and watched the ripples spread.
    • Ripples in the water betray the presence of the fish waiting for a chance to pounce on the insects skirting over the water.

  2. One of a series of corrugations in flat surface.

    • The ebbing tide had left ripples in the sand.

  3. A sound similar to that of undulating water.

  4. ›+ 15 more definitions

    1. A style of ice cream in which flavors have been coarsely blended together.

      • I enjoy fudge ripple ice cream, but I especially like to dig through the carton to get at the ripple part and eat only that.

    2. A small oscillation of an otherwise steady signal.

    3. A small spreading change, impact, or effect produced by a larger or more consequential…

      A small spreading change, impact, or effect produced by a larger or more consequential action.

      • Investments in research, deployment and scaling existing technologies are the initial ripples that will have to build to a groundswell of further action.

    4. To move like the undulating surface of a body of water

      To move like the undulating surface of a body of water; to undulate.

    5. To propagate like a moving wave.

      • These problems were complicated by a foreign exchange crunch which rippled through the economy in 1961-1962, […]

    6. To make a sound as of water running gently over a rough bottom, or the breaking of…

      To make a sound as of water running gently over a rough bottom, or the breaking of ripples on the shore.

    7. To shape into a series of ripples.

    8. To launch or unleash in rapid succession.

      • Hearns' 'Mech rippled fifteen missiles. Austen watched the missiles go in. They smashed into a copse of trees, smashing the trunks aside.

    9. To scratch, tear, or break slightly

      To scratch, tear, or break slightly; graze

      • An horsemans javelin[…]having slightly rippled the skinne of his left arme, pierced within his short ribs.

    10. An implement, with teeth like those of a comb, for removing the seeds and seed vessels…

      An implement, with teeth like those of a comb, for removing the seeds and seed vessels from flax, broom corn, etc.

    11. To remove the seeds from (the stalks of flax, etc.), by means of a ripple.

    12. thripple, cart ladder (extension for cart or wagon)

    13. A village and civil parish in Dover district, Kent, England (OS grid ref TR3450).

    14. A village and civil parish in Malvern Hills district, Worcestershire, England (OS grid…

      A village and civil parish in Malvern Hills district, Worcestershire, England (OS grid ref SO8737).

    15. A surname.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at ripple. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01ripple02undulation03string04cord05composed06composure07calmness08calm09rippled

A definitional loop anchored at ripple. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at ripple

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA