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Definition of "onomatopoeia" []

  • The formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "onomatopoeia" in a sentence
  • "I like the word onomatopoeia, and not just because I still remember how to spell it from third grade spelling classes."
  • "If the "pteetsee" part of that means bird or birds milk, I think it's a great bit of onomatopoeia, just like that the Chinese word for 'cat' sounds a lot like the noise a cat makes."
  • "This morning it was Krumphau - the "Crooked Cut", though I like to imagine a certain onomatopoeia in the term."