Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Sound or a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired.
  • noun Sound or a sound of any kind.
  • noun A loud outcry or commotion.
  • noun Physics A disturbance, especially a random and persistent disturbance, that obscures or reduces the clarity of a signal.
  • noun Computers Irrelevant or meaningless data.
  • noun A complaint or protest.
  • noun Rumor; talk.
  • noun Remarks or actions intended to convey a specific impression or to attract attention.
  • transitive verb To spread the rumor or report of.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To sound.
  • To spread by rumor or report; report: often with abroad.
  • To report of; spread rumors concerning; accuse publicly.
  • To disturb with noise.
  • noun A sound of any kind and proceeding from any source; especially, an annoying or disagreeable sound, or a mixture of confused sounds; a din: as, the noise of falling water; the noise of battle.
  • noun Outcry; clamor; loud, importunate, or continued talk: as, to make a great noise about trifles.
  • noun Frequent talk; much public conversation or discussion; stir.
  • noun Report; rumor.
  • noun A set or company of musicians; a band.
  • noun Offense; offensive savor.
  • noun Synonyms Tone, etc. (see sound, n., 2 and 3); din, clatter, blare, hubbub, racket, uproar.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To sound; to make a noise.
  • transitive verb To spread by rumor or report.
  • transitive verb obsolete To disturb with noise.
  • noun Sound of any kind.
  • noun Especially, loud, confused, or senseless sound; clamor; din.
  • noun Loud or continuous talk; general talk or discussion; rumor; report.
  • noun obsolete Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Various sounds, usually unwanted.
  • noun Sound or signal generated by random fluctuations
  • noun technology Unwanted part of a signal. (Signal to noise ratio)
  • noun genetics The measured level of variation in gene expression among cells, regardless of source, within a supposedly identical population
  • noun rumour or complaint
  • verb intransitive To make noise.
  • verb transitive To spread news of; to spread as rumor or gossip.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience
  • noun sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
  • noun the quality of lacking any predictable order or plan
  • noun a loud outcry of protest or complaint
  • noun incomprehensibility resulting from irrelevant information or meaningless facts or remarks
  • verb emit a noise
  • noun electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *nausea, discomfort, from Latin nausea, seasickness; see nausea.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old French noise ("a dispute, wrangle, strife, noise"); origin uncertain; according to some, from Latin nausea ("disgust, nausea"); according to others, from Latin noxia ("hurt, harm, damage, injury"); but neither explanation is satisfactory in regard to either form or sense.

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Examples

  • As I have independently concluded and stated in this blog, which is also stated in #407, there is no noise in climate, by definition. recalling that exponential growth may lead to strange attractors and feature-laden “noise” structures at ALL time scales?

    Exponential Growth in Physical Systems #2 « Climate Audit 2007

  • The Zemu continued an impetuous muddy torrent, whose hoarse voice, mingled with the deep grumbling noise* [The dull rumbling noise thus produced is one of the most singular phenomena in these mountains, and cannot fail to strike the observer.

    Himalayan Journals — Complete 1864

  • In a more sophisticated manner than cap Dave cap A. 27 February 2009 at 2: 31 PM david_a (291) - Rather than the term noise, the phrase internal variability is sometimes used to describe the effects of ocean oscillations and so forth.

    RealClimate 2009

  • In a more sophisticated manner than cap Dave cap A. 10: 51 AM david_a (291) - Rather than the term noise, the phrase internal variability is sometimes used to describe the effects of ocean oscillations and so forth.

    RealClimate 2009

  • In a more sophisticated manner than cap Dave cap A. 10: 51 AM david_a (291) - Rather than the term noise, the phrase internal variability is sometimes used to describe the effects of ocean oscillations and so forth.

    RealClimate 2009

  • With this amount of volatility, short term noise can sometimes overwhelm.

    Gemma Godfrey: Libya -- Oil, Water, Gold Are the Real Issues Gemma Godfrey 2011

  • Most people look around to see what all the noise is about.

    365 tomorrows » 2010 » May : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2010

  • Most people look around to see what all the noise is about.

    365 tomorrows » Duncan Shields : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2010

  • Where in all the noise is there any authentic call for a process of truth-telling, a means to reconciliation?

    March « 2008 « Bill Ayers 2008

  • Where in all the noise is there any authentic call for a process of truth-telling, a means to reconciliation?

    I’M SORRY!!!! i think…. 2008

  • Ms. Winfrey and others interviewed on the program — which included doctors who have consulted for the makers of these drugs — referred throughout the hour to the incessant internal chatter that some people experience around eating, also called “food noise.”

    Oprah Takes on Weight Stigma in the Ozempic Era By 2024

Comments

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  • Rumor.

    May 11, 2008