accent
prominence of a syllable in terms of differential loudness, or of pitch, or length, or of a combination of these.
degree of prominence of a syllable within a word and sometimes of a word within a phrase: primary accent; secondary accent.
a mark indicating stress (as (ˈ, ˌ), or (′, ″)), vowel quality (as French grave `, acute ´, circumflex ^ ), form (as French la “the” versus là “there”), or pitch.
any similar mark.
Prosody.
regularly recurring stress.
a mark indicating stress or some other distinction in pronunciation or value.
a musical tone or pattern of pitch inherent in a particular language either as a feature essential to the identification of a vowel or a syllable or to the general acoustic character of the language.: Compare tone (def. 7).
Often accents.
the unique speech patterns, inflections, choice of words, etc., that identify a particular individual: We recognized his accents immediately. She corrected me in her usual mild accents.
the distinctive style or tone characteristic of an author, composer, etc.: the unmistakably Brahmsian accents of the sonata; She recognized the familiar accents of Robert Frost in the poem.
a mode of pronunciation, as pitch or tone, emphasis pattern, or intonation, characteristic of or peculiar to the speech of a particular person, group, or locality: French accent; Southern accent.: Compare tone (def. 5).
such a mode of pronunciation recognized as being of foreign origin: He still speaks with an accent.
Music.
a stress or emphasis given to certain notes.
a mark noting this.
stress or emphasis regularly recurring as a feature of rhythm.
Mathematics.
a symbol used to distinguish similar quantities that differ in value, as in b′, b″, b‴ (called b prime, b second or b double prime, b third or b triple prime, respectively).
a symbol used to indicate a particular unit of measure, as feet (′) or inches (″), minutes (′) or seconds (″).
a symbol used to indicate the order of a derivative of a function in calculus, as f′ (called f prime) is the first derivative of a function f.
words or tones expressive of some emotion.
accents, words; language; speech: He spoke in accents bold.
distinctive character or tone: an accent of whining complaint.
special attention, stress, or emphasis: an accent on accuracy.
a detail that is emphasized by contrasting with its surroundings: a room decorated in navy blue with two red vases as accents.
a distinctive but subordinate pattern, motif, color, flavor, or the like: The salad dressing had an accent of garlic.
to pronounce with prominence (a syllable within a word or a word within a phrase): to accent the first syllable of “into”; to accent the first word of “White House.”: Compare stress (def. 12).
to mark with a written accent or accents.
to give emphasis or prominence to; accentuate.
Origin of accent
1Other words from accent
- ac·cent·less, adjective
- ac·cen·tu·a·ble [ak-sen-choo-uh-buhl], /ækˈsɛn tʃu ə bəl/, adjective
- non·ac·cent, noun
- non·ac·cent·ed, adjective
- non·ac·cent·ing, adjective
- re·ac·cent, verb (used with object)
- well-ac·cent·ed, adjective
Words that may be confused with accent
- 1. accent , stress
- 2. accent , accentuate, assent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use accent in a sentence
Despite a hint of a California drawl, her voice lacks a distinctive regional accent.
There are so many reasons to grab a scarf, from protection from the elements to a simple style accent.
Stylish and sophisticated scarves that everyone will love | PopSci Commerce Team | January 13, 2021 | Popular-ScienceDuncan also likes to use Brunschwig & Fils’s Xian chinoiserie as an accent pattern on window shades or an armchair, and she suggests pairing it with a geometric design.
How to incorporate 7 popular patterns in your home, according to experts | Marissa Hermanson | January 12, 2021 | Washington PostAfter all, we already know the man has the looks, the accent, and the acting chops.
The People Have Spoken And They Want Regé-Jean Page To Be The Next Bond | Brande Victorian | January 7, 2021 | Essence.comOffered in four colors, this chair is a nice accent piece perfect for guests.
The best fabric armchairs for your living room | PopSci Commerce Team | January 6, 2021 | Popular-Science
Her long, dark hair falls softly around her face, accenting her eyes, which are round and liquid.
He showed crisp plaid jumpers as well black accenting on semi-transparent cocktail dresses.
Yet when handled as Stevenson and Irving handled it, description assists in accenting the mood of the action.
English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) WebsterThere is surely no doubt that, in accenting a prefix rather than the root of the word, we lose a certain amount of force.
America To-day, Observations and Reflections | William ArcherHe believed that things could be kept together by accenting the similarities, not the differences of men.
The Longest Journey | E. M. ForsterBy slightly accenting the final syllable it becomes come at once to listen.
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees | James Mooney"I am very glad to see you," she said, accenting the adjective.
Sons and Fathers | Harry Stillwell Edwards
British Dictionary definitions for accent
the characteristic mode of pronunciation of a person or group, esp one that betrays social or geographical origin
the relative prominence of a spoken or sung syllable, esp with regard to stress or pitch: Compare pitch 1 (def. 28), stress (def. 3)
a mark (such as ˈ, ˌ, ´ or `) used in writing to indicate the stress or prominence of a syllable. Such a mark may also be used to indicate that a written syllable is to be pronounced, esp when such pronunciation is not usual, as in turnèd
any of various marks or symbols conventionally used in writing certain languages to indicate the quality of a vowel, or for some other purpose, such as differentiation of homographs: See acute (def. 10), grave 2 (def. 5), circumflex
(in some languages, such as Chinese) any of the tones that have phonemic value in distinguishing one word from another: Compare tone (def. 7)
rhythmic stress in verse or prose
music
stress placed on certain notes in a piece of music, indicated by a symbol printed over the note concerned
the rhythmic pulse of a piece or passage, usually represented as the stress on the first beat of each bar: See also syncopation
maths either of two superscript symbols indicating a specific unit, such as feet (′), inches (″), minutes of arc (′), or seconds of arc (″)
a distinctive characteristic of anything, such as taste, pattern, style, etc
particular attention or emphasis: an accent on learning
a strongly contrasting detail: a blue rug with red accents
to mark with an accent in writing, speech, music, etc
to lay particular emphasis or stress on
Origin of accent
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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