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.

Pronunciation

• enPR: noiz, IPA^(key): /nɔɪz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (UK):

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• Rhymes: -ɔɪz
• Homophone: Noyes

Noun

noise (countable and uncountable, plural noises)

1. (uncountable) Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant.

   He knew that it was trash day, when the garbage collectors made all the noise.

   • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

     The heavens turn about in a most rapid motion without noise to us perceived.

   • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:

     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.

2. Any sound.

   The sudden noise made everyone jump.

   She crept up behind him not making a noise.

3. Sound or signal generated by random fluctuations.
4. (technology) Any part of a signal or data that reduces the clarity, precision, or quality of the desired output.

   signal-to-noise ratio

   • 2018, Clarence Green, James Lambert, “Position vectors, homologous chromosomes and gamma rays: Promoting disciplinary literacy through Secondary Phrase Lists”, in English for Specific Purposes, →DOI, page 11:

     On the technical side, the scanning and OCR of texts, in combination with the graphic design of high school text books, introduced a certain level of noise into the corpus which in turn led to a higher tagging error rate than usual and may affect count precision.

5. (figurative, by extension) Unwanted fuss or bustle; useless activity.
   • 2013, R. Douglas Williamson, Straight Talk on Leadership: Solving Canada's Business Crisis:

     In order to provide coherence and confidence, the leader must dramatically turn down the noise level in the organization, eliminate any unnecessary distractions that inevitably get in the way of execution, and banish the fear of uncertainty.

6. (genetics) The measured level of variation in gene expression among cells, regardless of source, within a supposedly identical population.
7. Rumour or complaint.

   The problems with the new computer system are causing a lot of noise at Head Office.

   • 1709-1710, Thomas Baker, Reflections on Learning

     What noise have we had for fome Years about Transplantation of diseases and transfusion of blood!

   • October 13, 1711, Joseph Addison, The Spectator, No. 195

     He [Socrates] lived in Athens during the great plague, which has made so much noise through all ages.

8. (informal) Speech that is suggestive of an attitude or opinion.
   • 2012, Richard Oliver Collin, Pamela L. Martin, An Introduction to World Politics, page 425:

     Despite encouraging noises made by politicians from time to time, the two sides there have never been further from an agreement.

9. (obsolete) Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band.
   • 1621 August 13 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Ben Jonson, “The Masque of the Gypsies”, in Q. Horatius Flaccus: His Art of Poetry. […], London: […] J[ohn] Okes, for John Benson […], published 1640, →OCLC:

     The king has his noise of gypsies.

   • 1646 (indicated as 1645), John Milton, “At A Solemn Musick”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], →OCLC:

     That we on earth, with undiscording voice, / May rightly answer that melodious noise

10. (music) A genre of rock music that uses static and other non-musical sounds, also influenced by art rock.

Verb

noise (third-person singular simple present noises, present participle noising, simple past and past participle noised)

1. (intransitive) To make a noise; to sound.
   • 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Those terrours, which thou speak'st of, did me none ;
     I never fear'd they could, though noising loud
     And threatening nigh

2. (transitive) To spread news of; to spread as rumor or gossip.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:

     When this was noysed aboute, the multitude cam togedder and were astonyed, because that every man herde them speake in his awne tongue.

   • 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock […], 1875, →OCLC, page 17:

     This man then meeting with Chriſtian, and having ſome inckling of him, for Chriſtians ſetting forth from the City of Deſtruction was much noiſed abroad, not only in the Town, where he dwelt, but alſo it began to be the Town-talk in ſome other places.

Further reading

• “noise”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “noise”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “noise”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• onsie, eosin-, eosin, NESOI, nosie, Senoi

Etymology

Inherited from Old French noise, possibly from Latin nausia, nausea, or alternatively noxia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nwaz/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

noise f (plural noises)

1. (archaic or literary) quarrel, argument

Further reading

• “noise”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• noies

Etymology 1

Etymology 2

Etymology

Old French noise.

Noun

noise f (plural noises)

1. noise

Etymology

Uncertain; according to some, from Latin nausia, nausea (“disgust, nausea”), compare Old Occitan nauza (“noise, quarrel”); according to others, from Latin noxia (“hurt, harm, damage, injury”); but neither explanation is satisfactory in regard to either form or sense.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnoi̯.zə/

Noun

noise oblique singular, f (oblique plural noises, nominative singular noise, nominative plural noises)

1. dispute, argument
2. noise, sound