shock wave shock wavea fully developed compression wave of large amplitude, across which density, pressure, and particle velocity change drastically. Related Articles: Glossary: overpressureGlossary: barotraumaBlast Injury, Barotrauma, and Acoustic TraumaExplosive Sound Sources TechnologyWhat happens when sound pressures are large? Chris Knowlton2018-06-13T13:38:40-05:00