The movement of a water particle in a wave is called oscillation. When a wave moves through water, the particles that make up the water are not actually carried along with the wave. Instead, they oscillate in place about their equilibrium position as the energy of the wave passes through them. This means that while the wave itself is moving, the individual water particles are not continuously displaced in the same direction as the wave. They simply move in a back-and-forth or up-and-down motion as the wave passes through them. This particle motion is what creates the characteristic wave pattern we observe on the surface of the water.
