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nonsense syllable

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noun Psychology.
any of numerous letter combinations without meaning, used in learning experiments.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of nonsense syllable

First recorded in 1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for nonsense syllable

nonsense syllable

noun
psychol a syllable, like bik, having no meaning. Lists of such syllables have been used to investigate memory and learning
Collins 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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