Echoes

Ech·o  (k)

n. Greek Mythology

A nymph whose unrequited love for Narcissus caused her to pine away until nothing but her voice remained.

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ech·o  (k)

n. pl. ech·oes

1.

a. Repetition of a sound by reflection of sound waves from a surface.

b. The sound produced in this manner.

2. A repetition or an imitation: a fashion that is an echo of an earlier style.

3. A remnant or vestige: found echoes of past civilizations while examining artifacts in the Middle East.

4. One who imitates another, as in opinions, speech, or dress.

5. A sympathetic response: Their demand for justice found an echo in communities across the nation.

6. A consequence or repercussion: Her resignation had echoes throughout the department.

7. Repetition of certain sounds or syllables in poetry, as in echo verse.

8. Music Soft repetition of a note or phrase.

9. Electronics A reflected wave received by a radio or radar.

v. ech·oed, ech·o·ing, ech·oes

v.tr.

1. To repeat (a sound) by the reflection of sound waves from a surface.

2. To repeat or imitate: followers echoing the cries of their leader; events that echoed a previous incident in history.

v.intr.

1. To be repeated by or as if by an echo: The shout echoed off the wall. The speaker's words echoed in her mind.

2. To resound with or as if with an echo; reverberate: rooms echoing with laughter.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ch, from Greek kh.]

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echo·er n.

echo·ey adj.

Synonyms: echo, reecho, reflect, resound, reverberate
These verbs mean to send back the sound of: a cry echoed by the canyon; a cathedral roof reechoing joyous hymns; caves that reflect the noise of footsteps; cliffs resounding the thunder of the ocean; blasting reverberated by quarry walls.

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Echoes

See also sound.

catacoustics

Rare. the branch of acoustics that studies echoes. Also called cataphonics.

phonocamptics.

Obsolete the branch of physics that studies reflected sounds.