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onomatopoeia

ˌä-nə-ˌmä-tə-ˈpē-ə 5 syllables very rare

  1. noun.the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it: the creation of words that imitate natural sounds (such as buzz, hiss); also: a word formed by onomatopoeia

    • … some of our most beloved onomatopoeias: crackle, sizzle, pop, slurp.
    • a study of the poet's onomatopoeia
  2. noun.the use of words whose sound suggests the sense

Origin

Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiia, from onomat-, onoma name + poiein to make.

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