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onomatopoeia

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Onomatopoeia is defined as a word that sounds like the common sound of the object it is describing.

(noun)

An example of onomatopoeia is a train being called a choo choo.

The definition of onomatopoeia is a poetic structure of words to convey how something sounds.

(noun)

An example of onomatopoeia is a poem about a stream written in a way to imitate the sound of a stream.

See onomatopoeia in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

formation of a word by imitating the natural sound associated with the object or action involved; echoism (Ex.: tinkle, buzz, chickadee, etc.)
the use of words whose sounds reinforce their meaning or tone, as in poetry

Origin: LL < Gr onomatopoiia < onoma (gen. onomatos), name + poiein, to make: see poet

Related Forms:

onomatopoeic adjective or onomatopoetic
onomatopoeically adverb or onomatopoetically

See onomatopoeia in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

The formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.

Origin:

Origin: Late Latin

Origin: , from Greek onomatopoiiā

Origin: , from onomatopoios, coiner of names

Origin: : onoma, onomat-, name; see nō̆-men- in Indo-European roots

Origin: + poiein, to make; see k^wei-² in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

onˌo·matˌo·poeˈic, onˌo·matˌo·po·etˈic (-pō-ĕtˈĭk) adjective

onˌo·matˌo·poeˈi·cal·ly, onˌo·matˌo·po·etˈi·cal·ly adverb

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