Definitions for onomatopoeiaˌɒn əˌmæt əˈpi ə, -ˌmɑ tə-
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word onomatopoeia
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
on•o•mat•o•poe•iaˌɒn əˌmæt əˈpi ə, -ˌmɑ tə-(n.)
the formation of a word, as cuckoo or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.
the use of such imitative words.
Origin of onomatopoeia:
1570–80; < LL < Gk onomatopoiía making of words
using words that imitate the sound they denote
The property of a word of sounding like what it represents.
A word that sounds like what it represents, such as "gurgle" or "hiss".
The use of language whose sound imitates that which it names.
Origin: From ὀνοματοποιία, from ονοματοποιέω, from ὄνομα + ποιέω.
An onomatopoeia is a word that phonetically imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes. Onomatopoeia refers to the property of such words. Common occurrences of onomatopoeias include animal noises such as "oink", "meow", "roar" or "chirp". Onomatopoeias are not the same across all languages; they conform to some extent to the broader linguistic system they are part of; hence the sound of a clock may be tick tock in English, dī dā in Mandarin, or katchin katchin in Japanese. Although in the English language the term onomatopoeia means the imitation of a sound, in the Greek language the compound word onomatopoeia means "making or creating names". For words that imitate sounds the term Ηχομιμητικό is used. Ηχομιμητικό from Ηχώ meaning "echo or sound" and μιμητικό meaning "mimetic or imitation".
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
formations of words resembling in sound that of the things denoted by them.
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"onomatopoeia." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2014. Web. 18 Sep. 2014. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/onomatopoeia>.