UN-juh-layt

Definition

(verb) To move with a smooth, wave-like motion; to have a wavy form, surface, or appearance.

Example

 The tall grass undulated across the hillside in the breeze, rippling like a slow green tide.

Word Origin

From Latin undulatus, meaning “wavy,” derived from undula, a diminutive of unda, meaning “wave.” The Latin root unda is also the ancestor of words like abound, inundate, and redundant — all carrying the original sense of water flowing or overflowing. The word entered English in the early 17th century via scientific and descriptive writing.