The term 'wave-table' is a modern compound noun from the field of digital audio synthesis, formed in the late 20th century. It logically combines 'wave', referring to the graphical representation of a sound's oscillation, with 'table', referring to a structured array of digital data points stored in memory. The concept hinges on the practice of sampling a single cycle of a complex acoustic waveform and storing its amplitude values in a lookup table. This stored 'wave table' is then read and manipulated by a synthesizer to generate or modify sounds, blending the physical analogy of a wave with the computational metaphor of a data table.

Structure: wave (oscillation) + table (organized set) wave: From Old English 'wafian' (to wave, fluctuate), of Germanic origin. In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning a pattern of oscillation or undulation, specifically referring to a sound wave. table: From Latin 'tabula' (a board, plank, list). In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning an organized set or array of data, referring to the stored digital data.