alliteration
Use in a sentence
əˈreɪ noun
1.
the commencement of two or more stressed syllables of a word group either with the same consonant sound or sound group (consonantal alliteration) as in from stem to stern, or with a vowel sound that may differ from syllable to syllable (vocalic alliteration) as in each to all. Compare consonance ( def 4a ).
2.
the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter, as in apt alliteration's artful aid.
Origin:
1650–60; < Medieval Latin alliterātiōn-, stem of alliterātiō, equivalent to al- al- + literātiō, modeled after obliterātiō obliteration but intended to convey a derivative of littera letter
1650–60; < Medieval Latin alliterātiōn-, stem of alliterātiō, equivalent to al- al- + literātiō, modeled after obliterātiō obliteration but intended to convey a derivative of littera letter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To alliteration
Collins
World English Dictionary
alliteration (əˌlɪtəˈreɪʃən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| the use of the same consonant (consonantal alliteration) or of a vowel, not necessarily the same vowel (vocalic alliteration), at the beginning of each word or each stressed syllable in a line of verse, as in around the rock the ragged rascal ran | |
| [C17: from Medieval Latin alliterātiō (from Latin al- (see | |
| al'literative | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Alliteration
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
alliteration
1650s, "to begin with the same letter," from Mod.L. alliterationem (nom. alliteratio) from alliteratus, pp. of alliterare "to begin with the same letter," from L. ad- "to" + littera (also litera) "letter, script" (see letter). Formed on model of obliteration, etc.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
alliteration [(uh-lit-uh-ray-shuhn)]The repetition of the beginning sounds of words, as in “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” “long-lived,” “short shrift,” and “the fickle finger of fate.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
In addition to the rhyme, I also love the alliteration.
Select words and phrases that contain poetic effects such as alliteration and consonance.
Alliteration, puns and further word-play were other devices employed to the same end.
The alliteration and rhyme may pique readers' interest, but the concept of a stapler trying to outwit an animal seems strained.
Nearby Words
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