microwave
B1Neutral to informal
Definition
Meaning
An appliance that uses electromagnetic waves to heat food quickly.
The electromagnetic radiation itself (specifically, microwaves); to heat something in a microwave oven.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to the kitchen appliance in everyday use. The verb form is a conversion/zero-derivation from the noun.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both use 'microwave' for noun and verb. The appliance is sometimes called a 'microwave oven' more formally in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral in both. Associated with convenience, speed, and sometimes lower-quality cooking.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
microwave somethingmicrowave something for [time]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Retail of household appliances.
Academic
Physics, engineering (study of electromagnetic radiation).
Everyday
Cooking and reheating food.
Technical
Telecommunications, radar technology, spectroscopy.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you microwave the milk for my tea, please?
- I'll just microwave this ready meal for four minutes.
American English
- Just microwave the leftovers for two minutes.
- Don't microwave that container—it's not safe.
adjective
British English
- This is a microwave meal.
- We need some microwave-safe bowls.
American English
- She bought microwave popcorn.
- The instructions are on the microwave dinner box.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The soup is in the microwave.
- We have a new microwave.
- Can you heat this up in the microwave?
- My microwave is broken.
- You shouldn't microwave metal because it's dangerous.
- The scientist explained how a microwave oven works.
- The development of microwave technology revolutionised both cooking and telecommunications.
- This polymer degrades when subjected to prolonged microwave irradiation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
MICRO (small) + WAVE (like a radio wave) = small waves that cook food.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPEED IS HEAT (via microwaves).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'microvolna' for the appliance; it's 'mikrovolnovaya pech'' (микроволновая печь). The radiation is 'mikrovolnovoye izlucheniye' (микроволновое излучение).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'microwave' as a verb without an object (e.g., 'I'm going to microwave' vs. 'I'm going to microwave the soup'). Confusing 'microwave safe' with 'ovenproof'.
Practice
Quiz
What is a common informal synonym for 'to microwave'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both. The noun came first (the appliance/radiation), and the verb ('to heat in a microwave') was derived from it.
It means a container or material is designed not to melt, warp, or release harmful chemicals when heated in a microwave oven.
No, you should never put metal objects like foil, cutlery, or pots in a microwave. It can cause sparks, fire, and damage the appliance.
A conventional oven heats food from the outside using hot air (convection) or elements (radiation). A microwave oven uses microwave radiation to agitate water molecules inside the food, heating it from the inside out, which is much faster for many tasks.