A wave which returns or goes backward; specifically †a fast, high sea wave occurring as a result of an earthquake close to the coast, caused by the lifting and subsequent subsidence of the coastal land (obsolete).
Origin
Mid 19th century.
Definition of return wave in US English:
return wave
noun
A wave which returns or goes backward; specifically †a fast, high sea wave occurring as a result of an earthquake close to the coast, caused by the lifting and subsequent subsidence of the coastal land (obsolete).