"wave off" meaning in English

See wave off in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: waves off [present, singular, third-person], waving off [participle, present], waved off [participle, past], waved off [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} wave off (third-person singular simple present waves off, present participle waving off, simple past and past participle waved off)
  1. (transitive) To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave. Tags: transitive Synonyms: wave away Hypernyms: signal Coordinate_terms: ward off
    Sense id: en-wave_off-en-verb-1Mtt60-5 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "off", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 36 9 42 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "off": 23 31 11 35 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 17 35 10 38 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 19 31 13 37
  2. (transitive) To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.
    (aviation, nautical, military) Of an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around.
    Tags: transitive Synonyms: wave away Hypernyms: signal Coordinate_terms: ward off
    Sense id: en-wave_off-en-verb-b9m5jrdw Categories (other): Aviation, Military, Nautical, English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "off", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 36 9 42 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "off": 23 31 11 35 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 17 35 10 38 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 19 31 13 37 Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, nautical, physical-sciences, politics, transport, war
  3. (transitive) To say goodbye to someone with a wave (hand gesture). Tags: transitive Coordinate_terms: see off, send off
    Sense id: en-wave_off-en-verb-6Y5nDKPw Categories (other): English phrasal verbs formed with "off", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "off": 23 31 11 35 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 17 35 10 38 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 19 31 13 37
  4. (basketball) Of a referee, to disallow a field goal with the aforementioned hand gesture.
    Sense id: en-wave_off-en-verb-QNy2CRIA Categories (other): Basketball, English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "off", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 36 9 42 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "off": 23 31 11 35 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 17 35 10 38 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 19 31 13 37 Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "waves off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waving off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waved off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waved off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "wave off (third-person singular simple present waves off, present participle waving off, simple past and past participle waved off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "flag down"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "13 36 9 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 31 11 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 35 10 38",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 31 13 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "word": "ward off"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Near-synonym: wave away"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              12
            ]
          ],
          "text": "He waved off the approaching truck driver and restarted the apparatus.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave."
      ],
      "hypernyms": [
        {
          "word": "signal"
        }
      ],
      "id": "en-wave_off-en-verb-1Mtt60-5",
      "links": [
        [
          "signal",
          "signal#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wave away"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "flag down"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Aviation",
          "orig": "en:Aviation",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Military",
          "orig": "en:Military",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 36 9 42",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 31 11 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "17 35 10 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
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          "_dis": "19 31 13 37",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "word": "ward off"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.",
        "Of an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around."
      ],
      "hypernyms": [
        {
          "word": "signal"
        }
      ],
      "id": "en-wave_off-en-verb-b9m5jrdw",
      "links": [
        [
          "signal",
          "signal#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "aviation",
          "aviation"
        ],
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "aircraft carrier",
          "aircraft carrier"
        ],
        [
          "go around",
          "go around"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.",
        "(aviation, nautical, military) Of an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wave away"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "aeronautics",
        "aerospace",
        "aviation",
        "business",
        "engineering",
        "government",
        "military",
        "natural-sciences",
        "nautical",
        "physical-sciences",
        "politics",
        "transport",
        "war"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "23 31 11 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 35 10 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 31 13 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "word": "see off"
        },
        {
          "word": "send off"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To say goodbye to someone with a wave (hand gesture)."
      ],
      "id": "en-wave_off-en-verb-6Y5nDKPw",
      "links": [
        [
          "say goodbye",
          "say goodbye"
        ],
        [
          "wave",
          "wave"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To say goodbye to someone with a wave (hand gesture)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Basketball",
          "orig": "en:Basketball",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 36 9 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 31 11 35",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "17 35 10 38",
          "kind": "other",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "19 31 13 37",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a referee, to disallow a field goal with the aforementioned hand gesture."
      ],
      "id": "en-wave_off-en-verb-QNy2CRIA",
      "links": [
        [
          "basketball",
          "basketball"
        ],
        [
          "referee",
          "referee"
        ],
        [
          "disallow",
          "disallow"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(basketball) Of a referee, to disallow a field goal with the aforementioned hand gesture."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "basketball",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wave off"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"off\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "waves off",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waving off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waved off",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "waved off",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "wave off (third-person singular simple present waves off, present participle waving off, simple past and past participle waved off)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "flag down"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "word": "ward off"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Near-synonym: wave away"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              12
            ]
          ],
          "text": "He waved off the approaching truck driver and restarted the apparatus.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave."
      ],
      "hypernyms": [
        {
          "word": "signal"
        }
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "signal",
          "signal#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wave away"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "flag down"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Aviation",
        "en:Military",
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "word": "ward off"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.",
        "Of an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around."
      ],
      "hypernyms": [
        {
          "word": "signal"
        }
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "signal",
          "signal#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "aviation",
          "aviation"
        ],
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "aircraft carrier",
          "aircraft carrier"
        ],
        [
          "go around",
          "go around"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To give a wave of one's hand, or of a flag or wand, so as to signal (someone) to desist or leave.",
        "(aviation, nautical, military) Of an aircraft carrier landing signal officer, to signal a pilot to go around."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wave away"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "aeronautics",
        "aerospace",
        "aviation",
        "business",
        "engineering",
        "government",
        "military",
        "natural-sciences",
        "nautical",
        "physical-sciences",
        "politics",
        "transport",
        "war"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "word": "see off"
        },
        {
          "word": "send off"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To say goodbye to someone with a wave (hand gesture)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "say goodbye",
          "say goodbye"
        ],
        [
          "wave",
          "wave"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To say goodbye to someone with a wave (hand gesture)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Basketball"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a referee, to disallow a field goal with the aforementioned hand gesture."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "basketball",
          "basketball"
        ],
        [
          "referee",
          "referee"
        ],
        [
          "disallow",
          "disallow"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(basketball) Of a referee, to disallow a field goal with the aforementioned hand gesture."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "basketball",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wave off"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wave off meaning in English (3.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-03-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-03-03 using wiktextract (05c257f and 9d9a410). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.