sibilance

American  

[sib-uh-luhns] / ˈsɪb ə ləns /

Rarely sibilancy

noun

1. a hissing quality of sound, or the hissing sound itself.

   I stretched out comfortably in my sleeping bag, peering up at the stars and listening to the ocean's gentle sibilance.

   The older, poorer quality recordings had more than a hint of sibilance.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsibilance
  noun
• subsibilance
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sibilance

First recorded in 1800–10; sibil(ant) ( def. ) + -ance ( def. )

Explanation

Anything that makes a hissing sound has the quality of sibilance, like the sentence "The sassy snake slithered slowly." Sibilance derives from a Latin root, sibilare, which means "to hiss or whistle." There's a certain sibilance in the word itself, with its repeated s sounds. The sound of an angry snake, a whistling wind, a librarian's "Shhhhhh!" or your friend trying to get your attention by saying "Psssst!" — these are all examples of sibilance.

Example Sentences

One of the trombonists folded tin foil across the bell of his horn, creating a restless sibilance underneath the crystal tones and rough growls of his bandmates.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2020

“If I had,” this dainty woman says mildly, with a faintly Teutonic sibilance, “I would be getting out of prison right about now.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2019

Burmese Days by George Orwell The sweet sibilance of the title alone makes this a compulsory choice.

From The Guardian • Jul. 10, 2019

The high end can be a bit sharp with excessive sibilance on some recordings, but that’s my worst complaint.

From The Verge • Sep. 7, 2018

The deletions are tempting to a writer because they tighten up a sentence’s rhythm and avoid the ugly sibilance of which.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• catcall
• hoot