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onomatopoeia

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
on·o·mat·o·poe·ia  (n-mt-p, -mät-)
n.
The formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.

[Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoii, from onomatopoios, coiner of names : onoma, onomat-, name; see n-men- in Indo-European roots + poiein, to make; see kwei-2 in Indo-European roots.]

ono·mato·poeic, ono·mato·po·etic (-p-tk) adj.
ono·mato·poei·cal·ly, ono·mato·po·eti·cal·ly adv.

onomatopoeia [ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə]
n
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) the formation of words whose sound is imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated, such as hiss, buzz, and bang
2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) the use of such words for poetic or rhetorical effect
[via Late Latin from Greek onoma name + poiein to make]
onomatopoeic , onomatopoetic [ˌɒnəˌmætəpəʊˈɛtɪk] adj
onomatopoeically , onomatopoetically adv

onomatopoeia
the state or condition of a word formed to imitate the sound of its intended meaning, as rustle. — onomatopoeic, onomatopoetic, onoma-topoietic, onomatopoeial, adj.
See also: Sound
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.onomatopoeia - using words that imitate the sound they denote
rhetorical device - a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance)
Translations
onomatopoeia [ˌɒnəʊmætəʊˈpiːə] Nonomatopeya f
onomatopoeia [ˌɒnəmætəˈpiːə] nonomatopée f
onomatopoeia
nLautmalerei f, → Onomatopöie f (spec)
onomatopoeia [ˌɒnəʊmætəʊˈpiːə] nonomatopea
onomatopoeia [ˌɒnəʊmætəʊˈpiːə] nonomatopea


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If the sound of the words actually imitates the sound of the thing indicated, the effect is called Onomatopoeia.
 
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