ripple

Everyday

1. A small wave on the surface of water, like the rings when you drop a stone in a pond. tree →
2. To move in small waves: "The flag rippled in the wind." tree →
3. Something that spreads slowly: "a ripple of laughter". tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons ripples show how waves spread out from a point. In everyday life you see ripples on a puddle or pond. "The ripple effect" means one small action causes more and more effects, like kindness spreading. Phrases: ripple effect, a ripple of applause, ripples on the water.

Examples

• I threw a pebble and watched the ripples spread. tree →
• The wind made ripples on the lake. tree →
• A ripple of laughter went round the class. tree →
• The curtains rippled in the breeze. tree →
• Ripples spread out in circles from where the stone landed. tree →
• One kind act can have a ripple effect. tree →
• The sand on the beach had ripples from the waves. tree →

Note

Countable: a ripple, ripples. Regular verb: ripple, rippled, rippling. In science, ripples move outward in circles, but the water itself mostly goes up and down, not along.