shock wave: Meaning and Definition of

shock' wave"

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a region of abrupt change of pressure and density moving as a wave front at or above the velocity of sound, caused by an intense explosion or supersonic flow over a body.
  2. a repercussion from a startling event or upheaval; series of aftereffects: shock waves from the recent collapse of one of the nation's largest banks.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.