English
accent
Pronunciation
  • (RP) enPR: ăkʹsənt, IPA: /ˈak.sənt/
  • (America) enPR: ăkʹsĕnt, IPA: /ˈæk.sɛnt/
Noun

accent

  1. (linguistics) A higher-pitched or stronger articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
    In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable.
  2. (figuratively) Emphasis or importance in general.
    At this hotel, the accent is on luxury.
  3. (orthography) A mark or character used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken accent, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked.
    The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent.
  4. Modulation of the voice in speaking; the manner of speaking or pronouncing; a peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice, expressing emotion; tone.
    • 1608, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II-ii
      I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which for my part I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to 't.
    • 1696, Matthew Prior, "From Celia to Damon", in Poems on Several Occasions
      The tender Accent of a Woman's Cry / Will pass unheard, will unregarded die;
  5. (linguistics, sociolinguistics) The distinctive manner of pronouncing a language associated with a particular region, social group, etc., whether of a native speaker or a foreign speaker; the phonetic and phonological aspects of a dialect.
    a foreign accent   an American, British or Australian accent
    a broad Irish accent
    a hint of a German accent
  6. (linguistics, sign languages) A distinctive manner of producing a sign language, such as someone who does not normally use a certain sign language might have when using it.
    • 2015 December 3, [./http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-12-03/philadelphia-accent-sign-language There's a distinctly Philadelphia accent in American Sign Language]
  7. A word; a significant tone or sound.
  8. (usually, plural only) Expressions in general; speech.
    • Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear, / Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear.
  9. (prosody, poetry) Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
  10. (music) A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure.
  11. (music) A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure.
  12. (music) The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period.
  13. (music) The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage.
  14. (music) A mark used to represent specific stress on a note.
  15. (mathematics) A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y', y''.
  16. (geometry) A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc., as in 12' 27'', meaning twelve minutes and twenty-seven seconds.
  17. (engineering) A mark used to denote feet and inches, as in 6' 10'', meaning six feet ten inches.
  18. Emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition; an emphasized detail, in particular a detail in sharp contrast to its surroundings.
  19. A very small gemstone set into a piece of jewellery.
  20. A distinctive feature or quality.
  21. (archaic) Utterance.
Translations Translations
  • Russian: ударе́ние
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • Russian: акце́нт
Pronunciation
  • (RP) enPR: ăk-sĕntʹ, IPA: /ækˈsɛnt/
  • (America) enPR ăk-sĕntʹ, IPA: /ækˈsɛnt/, /ˈæk.sɛnt/
Verb

accent (accents, present participle accenting; past and past participle accented)

  1. (transitive) To express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
  2. (transitive) To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
  3. (transitive) To mark with written accents.
Translations

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