onomatopoeia
- The formation of a word that phonetically imitates or resembles the sound it describes, such as 'buzz' or 'crash'.
- A rhetorical or literary device employing such words for effect.
In a sentence
- The poem was rich with onomatopoeia, with words like 'hiss,' 'clang,' and 'murmur' bringing the scene to vivid life.
- Children's books frequently rely on onomatopoeia to make stories more engaging and fun to read aloud.
Usage note. Spelling is the chief difficulty: remember the sequence o-n-o-m-a-t-o-p-o-e-i-a; it helps to break it into 'ono-mato-poeia' and note there is no 'u'.
Where it comes from
English onomatopoeia — “sound-imitating word” · entered English 16th c.
From Greek 'onomatopoiia', from 'onoma' (name) and 'poiein' (to make). The term entered English in the late 16th century, around the 1570s. It was used in classical rhetoric and passed through Latin before reaching English.