onomatopoeia
Americannoun
-
the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.
-
a word so formed.
-
the use of imitative and naturally suggestive words for rhetorical, dramatic, or poetic effect.
noun
-
the formation of words whose sound is imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated, such as hiss, buzz, and bang
-
the use of such words for poetic or rhetorical effect
Usage
What is onomatopoeia? An onomatopoeia is the forming of a word by imitating the sound the word is referring to, as in bang, meaning “a loud, explosive sound,” and meow, meaning “the sound a cat makes.”The words themselves are also known as onomatopoeias.Many commonly used words are onomatopoeias. Onomatopoeias are used to give a sense of action or intensity to writing or drawings.
Other Word Forms
- onomatopoeic adjective
- onomatopoeically adverb
- onomatopoetic adjective
- onomatopoetically adverb
Etymology
Origin of onomatopoeia
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiía “making of words,” from onomato- (stem of ónoma “name”) + poi- (stem of poieîn “to make”) + -ia -ia; -onym, poet
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At these times Mr. Jones seems to be aiming for pure onomatopoeia, a language that wholly reproduces the aural texture of rural life.
Because there is no onomatopoeia that could distill the noises this animal makes.
From Seattle Times
One type is onomatopoeia; for example, words that describe a cat’s meow or a rooster’s crow are similar across many languages.
From New York Times
An even more challenging and creative way to use body percussion is to create onomatopoeia in accordance with the lyrics, mimicking or relating to the sounds presented in the rhyme.
From Literature
Among his voluminous output, he is most proud of his 1970s “Kotoba Asobi Uta” series, which utilized singsong alliterations and onomatopoeia, as the title “Word Play Songs” implies.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
