Word of the Day Archive
Saturday January 19, 2002
susurration \soo-suh-RAY-shun\ , noun:
A whispering sound; a soft murmur.
. . .the soft susurration of the wind through a stand of whistling thorn.
-- Ann Jones, "Kenya on horseback", Town & Country, August 1, 1994
Across the road I can make out the grassy park that runs along the sand and hear, in the distance, the steady susurration of the Atlantic Ocean.
-- Michael Dirda, "Excursions", Washington Post, January 2, 2000
There was the predictable noise of offence being taken on the Conservative side of the House. But it was low and muted, a mild susurration in the backwoods rather than an outraged gust of anger.
-- Andrew Marr, "Making a prime minister of the President", Independent, March 30, 1994
Susurration is from Late Latin susurratio, from Latin susurrare, "to whisper, to mutter," from susurrus, "a whispering, a muttering."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for susurration
