acoustic
pronunciation
How to pronounce acoustic in British English:
UK [əˈkuːstɪk]
How to pronounce acoustic in American English:
US [əˈkuːstɪk]
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- Noun:
- a remedy for hearing loss or deafness
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- Adjective:
- of or relating to the science of acoustics
Word Origin
- acoustic
- acoustic: [17] Appropriately enough, acoustic may be distantly related to hear. It first appeared in English in Francis Bacon’s Advancement of Learning 1605, borrowed from Greek akoustikós. This in turn was derived from the Greek verb for ‘hear’, akoúein, which, it has been speculated, may have some connection with *khauzjan, the original Germanic source of English hear, not to mention German hören and Dutch horen (as well as with Latin cavēre ‘be on one’s guard’, and hence with English caution and caveat).=> caution, caveat, hear
- acoustic (adj.)
- c. 1600, from French acoustique, from Greek akoustikos "pertaining to hearing," from akoustos "heard, audible," verbal adjective from akouein "to hear," probably from copulative prefix a- (see a- (3)) + koein "to mark, perceive, hear," from PIE *kous- "to hear," which is perhaps from root *(s)keu- "to notice, observe" (see caveat). Acoustic guitar (as opposed to electric) attested by 1958. Related: Acoustical; acoustically.
Example
- 1. Ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing is an especially exciting advance .
- 2. Moreover , the acoustic properties of wood so affected seem to be just what violin-makers desire .
- 3. One advantage of acoustic detection is that sound travels rather better in water and ice than light does .
- 4. This gives it excellent thermal and acoustic properties , but the suitability of the product for a large-scale commercial project was questioned .
- 5. But understanding the amplification could help us improve our own acoustic technology . Using different techniques , of course .