ONOMATOPOEIA • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • Definition of Onomatopoeia

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noun

Onomatopoeia n. (Philol.) The formation of words in imitation of sounds; a figure of speech in which the sound of a word is imitative of the sound of the thing which the word represents; as, the buzz of bees; the hiss of a goose; the crackle of fire. Note: It has been maintained by some philologist that all primary words, especially names, were formed by imitation of natural sounds, but this is not believed by most.

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Etymology of 'Onomatopoeia'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Onomatopoeia" Quotes from Famous Books

... or unusual? Are the most effective words concrete or abstract? figurative or literal? Find examples of alliteration, of onomatopoeia, of all the figures of speech ...

— Teachers' Outlines for Studies in English - Based on the Requirements for Admission to College • Gilbert Sykes Blakely

... Language. — N. language; phraseology &c. 569; speech &c. 582; tongue, lingo, vernacular; mother tongue, vulgar tongue, native tongue; household words; King's English, Queen's English; dialect &c. 563. confusion of tongues, Babel, pasigraphie[obs3]; pantomime &c. (signs) 550; onomatopoeia; betacism[obs3], mimmation, myatism[obs3], nunnation[obs3]; pasigraphy[obs3]. lexicology, philology, glossology[obs3], glottology[obs3]; linguistics, chrestomathy[obs3]; paleology[obs3], paleography; comparative grammar. literature, letters, polite literature, belles lettres[Fr], muses, humanities, ...

— Roget's Thesaurus

Words linked to "Onomatopoeia" : onomatopoeical, rhetorical device