wave in

English

Etymology

English wave + in. From Middle English waven, from Old English wafian (“to wave, fluctuate, waver in mind, wonder”), from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, *wabjaną (“to wander, sway”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to move to and from, wander”).

Verb

wave in (third-person singular simple present waves in, present participle waving in, simple past and past participle waved in)

1. (transitive) To try, in public, to attract people into a business establishment.
   • Bonnie Powers is the walking, talking hotdog who waves customers in off the street and greets the children with a smile. [1]
   • While the gentleman in blue waves customers in and out at the rate of one every three and one-third minutes, bank teller Gooding peers up through his oversized periscope and discourses on the hazards of his job. [2]
   • By your definition, it's not only the proprietor of the Eden Club who qualifies as a pimp, it's the receptionist at every massage parlor, the security guard in the parking lot outside who waves customers in, etc. [3]

Anagrams

• Van Wie, Vanwie