Past tense of wave; moved back and forth in a flowing motion, or gestured with the hand as a greeting or signal.
From Old English 'wafian' meaning 'to wave with the hands'. The word originally described the motion of fabric or banners in wind, then extended to hand gestures and water movement. The connection between all these meanings is the rhythmic back-and-forth motion.
Waving as a greeting is nearly universal across human cultures, likely because it demonstrates peaceful intent by showing an empty hand and making yourself visible from a distance. Interestingly, the same word describes ocean waves, hand gestures, and electromagnetic radiation, showing how humans recognize the same fundamental pattern of rhythmic movement across vastly different scales.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.