Reverbed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A state or quality of sound characterized by resonant echoes and prolonged reverberation
2. Experiencing an effect of sound waves reflecting off surfaces, creating a rich audio texture
3. Describing an acoustic environment where sound is sustained through repeated reflections and delays

Etymology: "Reverbed" is simply the past tense and past participle of the verb "reverb," with the regular "-ed" ending added. The base word "reverb" is a clipping of "reverberation," itself drawn from the Latin "reverberare," meaning "to beat back" or "strike again," from "re-" (back) and "verberare" (to strike, lash). That original sense of a blow bouncing back explains why a sound that echoes off surfaces came to be called reverberation. The shortened form "reverb" came into use in the recording and music world, where it names an effect applied to a sound. Engineers and musicians use it to describe both the artificial effect and the natural quality of a room, so "reverbed" describes a sound or space that has had that effect applied or that carries it naturally.