Meanings
plural Rossby waves
- A natural phenomenon in the atmospheres and oceans of planets, a kind of inertial wave that is largely due to planetary rotation.
The new paper explores the impacts on crop production when meanders in the jet stream (Rossby waves) become stuck. Stuck patterns cause extreme weather.
2023 July 15, George Monbiot, “With our food systems on the verge of collapse, it’s the plutocrats v life on Earth”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: planetary wave
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA natural phenomenon in the atmospheres and oceans of planets, a kind of inertial wave that is largely due to planetary rotation.
Origin
Named after Swedish-born American meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Rossby (1898–1957), who first identified them.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Rossby-Welle
- Rossby-WelleTranslations
Polish fala Rossby'ego
- fala Rossby'egoTranslations
Cite this entry
Rossby wave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rossby%20wave
“Rossby wave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rossby%20wave. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rossby wave,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rossby%20wave.
Source: Rossby wave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.