Bleeping

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbliːpɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Producing a censored sound to cover a curse or offensive word ; emitting a short, high-pitched electronic or mechanical sound
2. Creating a beep-like noise that substitutes for inappropriate language ; generating a brief tone often used as a warning or signal
3. Using a sound to mask swear words or vulgar terms ; producing a distinct beeping tone from devices or machines

Etymology: The sound itself does most of the work here. "Bleep" is onomatopoeic, a word built to imitate a noise rather than inherited from an older language. The short, high electronic tone it names is the kind of sound a machine makes, so the word describes the noise before it describes any act of censorship. Using it for censorship is a natural extension of that sound. When a broadcaster wants to hide a swear word, the easiest way to cover it is to overlay a beep, and the beep becomes the signal that something has been removed. "Bleeping" is the act of doing exactly that, so the verb moves from a sound to a process: replacing the offending speech with a tone that announces the gap.

Synonyms: beeping, buzzing, ringing