English Explanatory Dictionary

noise

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant.
  2. Any sound.
  3. Sound or signal generated by random fluctuations.
  4. Any part of a signal or data that reduces the clarity, precision, or quality of the desired output.
  5. Variation or deviation generated by random fluctuations.
  6. Unwanted fuss or bustle; useless activity.
  7. The measured level of variation in gene expression among cells, regardless of source, within a supposedly identical population.
  8. Rumour or complaint.
  9. Speech that is suggestive of an attitude or opinion.
  10. Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band.
  11. A genre of rock music that uses static and other non-musical sounds, also influenced by art rock.
verb
  1. To make a noise; to sound.
  2. To spread news of; to spread as rumor or gossip.

Pronunciation

/ˈnoɪ̯z/ /ˈnɔɪ̯z/ en-us-noise.ogg En-uk-noise.ogg

Word forms

noise noises noising noised

Etymology

From Middle English noyse, noise, from Old French noise (“a dispute, wrangle, strife, noise”), of uncertain origin. According to some, from Latin nausia, nausea (“disgust, nausea”); according to others, from Latin noxia (“hurt, harm, damage, injury”); but neither explanation is satisfactory in regard to either form or sense. Potentially a reduced form of Old French enoiier (“to bother, to disturb”), from Latin inodio (“to make repulsive”) - which would make it a doublet of English annoy (“to bother, to irritate”) and English ennui (“boredom, jadedness, depression”). Compare Piedmontese nojé (“to bother, to annoy”), though this fails to explain the final /z/.

Synonyms

cacophony clamour clash commotion din disquiet exclamation hullabaloo outcry racket tintamarre tumult uproar vociferation sound

Antonyms

calm quiet silence

Derived words

1/f noise active noise cancellation active noise control antinoise anti-noise azure noise background noise big noise bistable noise black noise blue noise Brownian noise Brown noise burst noise cat activation noise comfort noise counternoise denoise empty barrels make the most noise empty cans make the most noise empty vessels make the most noise flicker noise food noise fuck that noise gray noise grey noise harsh noise harsh noise wall impulse noise Japanoise Johnson noise Johnson-Nyquist noise line noise low-noise block downconverter make a noise in the world make noise make some noise noise barrier noise-cancel noise cancellation noisecore noisefest noise footprint noise footprintx noise-free noiseful noise gate noiseless noiselessly noiselessness noiselet noiselike noisemaker noisemaking noisemonger noisenik noise pollution noise pop noise power noiseproof
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