traveling wave

A wave is a mode of energy transfer from one place to another, often with little or no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium (i.e. little or no associated mass transport); instead there are oscillations around almost fixed positions. Thus, while mechanical waves require a medium to transverse the distance, electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.
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A wave is a disturbance that propagates, in everyday use usually referring to ocean surface waves.Wave may also refer to:Waving, a hand gestureWAVE or WAV, a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standardWAVE (Wireless Access in the Vehicular Environment), also known as IEEE 802.11p, a set of standards that govern wireless networking transmission methods.Pontiac Wave, a subcompact car sold only in Canada.Wave the Swallow, a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog video games, and member of the Babylon RoguesWave Rock, a natural rock formation in AustraliaWaves Audio, a company specialized in digital signal processing, author of several popular VST'sWaves@BITS-Goa, an annual culfest of BITS Pilani-Goa Campus WAVES or Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, a World War II era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of womenWAVES or World Association for Vedic Studies [1]Audience wave, which sometimes occurs at sporting events, also known as the "Mexican Wave" and "the Wave"Revolutionary wave, a series of revolutions occurring in various locationsWaves (hairstyle), a hairstyleWave (cigarettes), a brand name of cigarettesWave (Lain), a high-pitched frequency, frequently found in Australian dialectsWAVE (TV), a television station in Louisville, Kentucky
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Noun
1. a wave in which the medium moves in the direction of propagation of the wave
(hypernym) wave, undulation
(hyponym) soliton, soliton wave, solitary wave

A wave that (a) propagates in a transmission medium, (b) has a velocity determined by the launching conditions and the physical properties of the medium, and (c) may be a longitudinal or transverse wave. Note 1: For the purposes of this definition, free space may be considered a medium, although it is not a physical medium. Note 2: A traveling wave is not a wave that is reduced to a standing wave by reflections from a distant boundary. Note 3: Examples of traveling waves are radio waves propagating in free space, lightwaves propagating in optical fibers, water waves on the surface of the ocean, and seismic waves. [From Weik '89]