white noise

American  

[wahyt noiz, hwahyt] / ˈwaɪt ˈnɔɪz, ˈʰwaɪt /

noun

1. Also called broadband noise.  Physics. a noise signal with a uniform frequency spectrum over a wide range of frequencies.

2. Also called white sound.  Informal. any steady, unobtrusive sound or pattern of sounds recorded from nature or produced electronically and used to mask unwanted noise or fill a discomforting silence.

   You can program the machine to play ocean waves, a rainforest, a thunderstorm, or whatever white noise helps you to relax.

---

white noise British  

noun

1. 1. sound or electrical noise that has a relatively wide continuous range of frequencies of uniform intensity

   2. noise containing all frequencies rising in level by six decibels every octave

---

Etymology

Origin of white noise

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“Maybe it’s just the voice, like white noise,” says Perdek, president of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Part of it is actually teaching them to ignore the white noise of silly terms like nepo baby, which you can't really do anything about."

From BBC

I take some deep breaths—Dr. Cain would be so proud I remember her coping tricks—to try to get the static-y white noise in my brain to shut up.

From Literature

The continuous buying and selling of things is commerce, and commerce is, in “JR,” about the white noise of conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Restore 3 is a sleeper’s Swiss Army knife, with a variety of white noise and other ambient sounds, along with gentle lighting to ease you into—and out of—your bed.

From The Wall Street Journal