ripple

Definition

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

Etymology

From an alteration of rimple.

Example Sentences

• "I dropped a small stone into the pond and watched the ripples spread."
• "What seamen call the "ripples" are also very violent in the straits, the sea appearing to boil and foam and dance like the rapids below a cataract; vessels are swept about helplessly, and small ones are occasionally swamped in the finest weather and under the brightest skies."
• "Ripples in the water betray the presence of the fish waiting for a chance to pounce on the insects skirting over the water."