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word stress

American  

noun

  1. the stress pattern or patterns associated with the words of a particular language when they are considered in isolation.


word stress British  

noun

  1. the stress accent on the syllables of individual words either in a sentence or in isolation

"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

Etymology

Origin of word stress

First recorded in 1910–15

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.

See Examples For:

My Carver classmates complain about challenging classes and competitive sports, but they don't know the meaning of the word "stress."

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

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