380. Sound

See also 198. HEARING ; 236. LANGUAGE ; 284. MUSIC ; 330. PRONUNCIATION ; 378. SONGS and SINGING ; 382. SPEECH ; 394. THUNDER .

acoustics

1. Physics. the study of sound and sound waves.

2. the qualities or characteristics of a space, as an auditorium, that deter-mine the audibility and fidelity of sounds in it. —acoustician, n. —acoustic, adj.

anacamptics

Obsolete, the study of the reflection of sounds. —anacamptic, adj.

assonance

likeness or approximate similarity in sound.

bombilation

Rare. a rumbling sound.

bombination

Rare. a buzzing or humming sound.

cacophony

1. a harshness of sound.

2. discordant noise. —cacophonic, cacophonous, adj.

crepitation

a crackling sound.

diacoustics

Rare. the science of sounds refracted through various media.

echolocation

the fixing of the position of an object by transmitting a signal and measuring the time required for it to bounce back, typically done by radar or sonar and by bats.

echometry

the measurement of the duration of and intervals between sounds. —echometer, n.

euphony

1. an agreeableness in sounds; a pleasantness to the ear; harmoniousness.

2. Phonetics. a harmoniousness in speech sounds, especially in word choices emphasizing various patterns of consonants or vowels. —euphonic, euphonical, euphonious, adj.

harmonometer

an instrument for measuring the relationships between sounds.

homonymy

the state or quality of sounding identical, whether spelled identically or not, as bear and bare.

homophony

the state or condition of a letter, word, or symbol having the same sound as another but a different meaning, regardless of sameness or difference in spelling, as choirlquire. —homophonic, homophonous, adj.

kaleidophon, kaleidophone

an instrument for the visual representation of sound waves.

monotony

dullness or uniformity, similar to that experienced from a repeated sound. —monotonous, adj.

onomatopoeia

the state or condition of a word formed to imitate the sound of its intended meaning, as rustle. —onomatopoeic, onomatopoetic, onoma-topoietic, onomatopoeial, adj.

oxyphonia, oxyphony

an unusually sharp quality or pitch of sound or voice.

phonology

1. the study of speech sounds, from either or both the phonetic and phonemic viewpoints.

2. the phonetic and phonemic systems of a language. See also 247. LINGUISTICS . —phonologist, n. —phonological, adj.

phonomania

an abnormal love of noise.

phonophobia

an abnormal f ear of noise.

plangency

the condition or quality of producing a deep or loud sound. —plangent, adj.

psychoacoustics

the study of the relationship between sounds and their perception by the listener, especially with regard to how the perception depends on the physical characteristics of the sound rather than on the mind of the listener. —psychoacoustician, n. —psychoacoustic, adj.

raucity

the state or quality of sounding hoarse or harsh. —raucous, adj.

sibilancy, sibilance

the state or quality of a hissing sound. —sibilant, adj.

stridulation

1. the producing of a shrill, grating noise by chafing a serrated part of the body against a hard part.

2. the noise so produced. —stridulator, n. —stridulant, stridulatory, adj.

susurration

1. the act or process of whispering.

2. a whispering sound or soft rustling. Also susurrus. —susurrant, susurrous, adj.

tautophony

repetition of the same sound. —tautophonic, tautophonical, adj.

ultrasonics

the science or study of ultrasonic vibrations, those belonging to a frequency above the audio range. —ultrasonic, adj.

ululation

1. the act of wailing or hooting.

2. the sound thus produced. —ululant, adj.