noise
/ˈnoɪ̯z/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.55 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any part of a signal or data that reduces the clarity, precision, or quality of the desired output.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The measured level of variation in gene expression among cells, regardless of source, within a supposedly identical population.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "He knew that it was trash day, when the garbage collectors made all the noise."
- "The heavens turn about in a most rapid motion without noise to us perceived."
- "Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour."
- "The sudden noise made everyone jump."
- "She crept up behind him not making a noise."
- "The complete flutter of the distant signal would probably so entirely destroy its identity that the crosstalk from it would be a substantially unintelligible noise."
Etymology
From Middle English noyse, noise, from Old French noise (“a dispute, wrangle, strife, noise”), of uncertain origin. According to some, from Latin nausia, 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. Potentially a reduced form of Old French enoiier (“to bother, to disturb”), from Latin inodio (“to make repulsive”) - which would make it a doublet of English annoy (“to bother, to irritate”) and English ennui (“boredom, jadedness, depression”). Compare Piedmontese nojé (“to bother, to annoy”), though this fails to explain the final /z/. Displaced native Old English swēġ.