Nearby Words
n
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. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To alliteration
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Alliteration
has a plethora of syllables.
So is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Does it mean:
| given to using long words. |
| (used as a nonsense word by children to express approval or to represent the longest word in English.) |
Example Sentences
- The alliteration and meter wasn't entirely correct, but it made me laugh.
- Think of a poet who employs a staff of experts in metaphor, meter, alliteration and lineation to commit an idea to paper.
- The alliteration and rhyme may pique readers' interest, but the concept of a stapler trying to outwit an animal seems strained.
Collins
World English Dictionary
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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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
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