sibilance

[ sib-uh-luhns ]
See synonyms for sibilance on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a hissing quality of sound, or the hissing sound itself:I stretched out comfortably in my sleeping bag, peering up at the stars and listening to the ocean's gentle sibilance.The older, poorer quality recordings had more than a hint of sibilance.

Origin of sibilance

1
First recorded in 1800–10; sibil(ant) + -ance
  • Rarely sib·i·lan·cy [sib-uh-luhn-see] /ˈsɪb ə lən si/ .

Other words from sibilance

  • non·sib·i·lance, noun
  • sub·sib·i·lance, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024