syl|la|ble

syl|la|ble
syl|la|ble «SIHL uh buhl», noun, verb, -bled, -bling.
–n.
1. a word or part of a word pronounced as a unit, usually consisting of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more consonants. A mer i can and Al a bam a are words of four syllables. Do, this, and stretch are words of one syllable. Certain consonant sounds may be used as a vowel sound in syllables, such as the (l) in bottle (bot'l) or the (n) in hidden (hid'n).
2. one or more letters in a printed or written word that may be separated from other syllables of the word by a space, hyphen, or other mark to show where the word may be divided at the end of a line. Strength has only one syllable; ap prox i mate has four.
3. the slightest bit; word: »

He promised not to breathe a syllable of the secret to anyone.

–v.t.
1. to pronounce in syllables; utter distinctly; articulate: »

Airy tongues, that syllable men's names On sands and shores and desert wildernesses (Milton).

2. to represent by syllables.
–v.i.
to utter syllables; speak.
╂[< Anglo-French sillable, variant of Old French sillabe < Latin syllaba < Greek syllab (originally) a taking together < syn- together + lab-, stem of lambánein to take]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • syl·la·ble — …   Useful english dictionary

  • dec|a|syl|la|ble — «DEHK uh SIHL uh buhl», noun. a line of poetry having ten syllables …   Useful english dictionary

  • dis|syl|la|ble — «dih SIHL uh buhl, DIHS SIHL », noun. a word having two syllables, such as about, bandage, or candy. Also, disyllable. ╂[< French dissyllable, learned borrowing from Latin disyllabus < Greek disýllabos < di two + syllab syllable;… …   Useful english dictionary

  • di|syl|la|ble — «dih SIHL uh buhl», noun. = dissyllable. (Cf. ↑dissyllable) …   Useful english dictionary

  • do|dec|a|syl|la|ble — «DOH deh kuh SIHL uh buhl», noun. a verse or a word of 12 syllables. ╂[< Greek d twelve + English syllable] …   Useful english dictionary

  • hen|dec|a|syl|la|ble — «HEHN dehk uh SIHL uh buhl», noun. a metrical line of eleven syllables. ╂[< Latin hendecasyllabus < Greek hendekasýllabos; influenced by English syllable] …   Useful english dictionary

  • mon|o|syl|la|ble — «MON uh SIHL uh buhl», noun. a word of one syllable. Yes and no, man and child are monosyllables …   Useful english dictionary

  • oc|to|syl|la|ble — «OK tuh SIHL uh buhl, OK tuh SIHL », noun, adjective. –n. 1. a line of verse having eight syllables. 2. a word having eight syllables. –adj. = octosyllabic. (Cf. ↑octosyllabic) …   Useful english dictionary

  • pen|ta|syl|la|ble — «PEHN tuh SIHL uh buhl», noun. a word of five syllables …   Useful english dictionary

  • plu|ri|syl|la|ble — «PLUR uh SIHL uh buhl», noun. a word of more than one syllable …   Useful english dictionary

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