[on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‐mah-tuh‐] 
| onomatopoeia (ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the formation of words whose sound is imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated, such as hiss, buzz, and bang |
| 2. | the use of such words for poetic or rhetorical effect |
| [C16: via Late Latin from Greek onoma name + poiein to make] | |
| onomato'poeic | |
| —adj | |
| onomatopoetic | |
| —adj | |
| onomato'poeically | |
| —adv | |
| onomatopo'etically | |
| —adv | |
onomatopoeia
the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (such as buzz or hiss). Onomatopoeia may also refer to the use of words whose sound suggests the sense. This occurs frequently in poetry, where a line of verse can express a characteristic of the thing being portrayed. In the following lines from Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy," the rhythm of the words suggests the movement of a locomotive: An engine, an engine Chuffing me off like a Jew.A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen.
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əˌmæt