| 1. | a movement, trend, or vogue, as in art, literature, or politics, that breaks with traditional concepts, values, techniques, or the like. |
| 2. | (often initial capital letters ) a group of leaders or representatives of such a movement, esp. of French film directors of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Compare nouvelle vague. |
| 3. | (often initial capital letters) a largely minimalist but emotionally intense style of rock music, being an outgrowth of punk rock in the late 1970s, typified by spare or repetitive arrangements, and emphasizing energetic, unpolished performance. |