Acoustics

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈkuː.stɪks/

Definitions

1. The branch of science studying sound and its properties ; the characteristic sound behavior in a room or building
2. The study of how sound is produced, transmitted, and perceived ; the way sound is experienced within an environment
3. The field concerned with sound waves and their effects ; the qualities affecting how sound travels and is heard indoors or outdoors

Etymology: "Acoustics" is the plural of "acoustic," and the path to it runs through the ancient Greek verb "akouein," meaning "to hear." From that verb came the adjective "akoustikos," relating to hearing, which passed into Medieval Latin as "acousticus" and then into English as "acoustic." The Greek adjective itself was built on a verb whose root goes back to the very old Indo-European family of words for hearing and listening. The plural ending is the surprising part. "Acoustic" began as an adjective meaning "of or relating to hearing," so "acoustics" is a noun formed by adding the English plural "-s" to it, a pattern that turns an adjective into a field of study, as in "physics" or "mathematics." The meaning therefore moved from a quality of hearing to the name of the science that explains how sound behaves, travels and is heard.

Synonyms: sound, auditory science