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stertorous

[stur-ter-uh s]
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adjective
  1. characterized by stertor or heavy snoring.
  2. breathing in this manner.
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Origin of stertorous

First recorded in 1795–1805; stertor + -ous
Related formsster·to·rous·ly, adverbster·to·rous·ness, nounpost·ster·to·rous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

discordantloudstridentharshvociferousblatantjarringraucousthroatygruffgravellyacutebrusquecacophonousdissonantdrygratinggrindinghoarsehusky

Examples from the Web for stertorous

Historical Examples

  • There was something ominous about the spasmodic and stertorous breathing.

    Joan of Arc of the North Woods

    Holman Day

  • With that enigmatical comment he was silent save for stertorous breathing.

    Desert Dust

    Edwin L. Sabin

  • He seemed in a profound stupor, but there was no stertorous breathing.

    Ladies-In-Waiting

    Kate Douglas Wiggin

  • The only sound was the stertorous breathing of the unconscious guard.

    Gold in the Sky

    Alan Edward Nourse

  • Anne shook him, but he did not awake, his breathing being slow and stertorous.

    The Trumpet-Major

    Thomas Hardy

British Dictionary definitions for stertorous

stertorous

adjective
  1. marked or accompanied by heavy snoring
  2. breathing in this way
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Derived Formsstertorously, adverbstertorousness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for stertorous

adj.

1802, from Modern Latin stertor (from Latin stertere "to snore") + -ous.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper