noun, plural ech·oes.
- a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.
- a sound heard again near its source after being reflected.
- any repetition or close imitation, as of the ideas or opinions of another.
- a person who reflects or imitates another.
- a sympathetic or identical response, as to sentiments expressed.
- a lingering trace or effect.
- (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. a mountain nymph who pined away for love of the beautiful youth Narcissus until only her voice remained.
- Cards. the play of a high card and then a low card in the suit led by one’s partner as a signal to continue leading the suit, as in bridge, or to lead a trump, as in whist.
- Electronics. the reflection of a radio wave, as in radar or the like.
- (initial capital letter) U.S. Aerospace. one of an early series of inflatable passive communications satellites.
- a word used in communications to represent the letter E.
verb (used without object), ech·oed, ech·o·ing.
- to emit an echo; resound with an echo: The hall echoed with cheers.
- to be repeated by or as by an echo: Shouts echoed through the street.
verb (used with object), ech·oed, ech·o·ing.
- to repeat by or as by an echo; emit an echo of: The hall echoes the faintest sounds.
- to repeat or imitate the words, sentiments, etc., of (a person).
- to repeat or imitate (words, sentiments, etc.).
noun plural -oes
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- the reflection of sound or other radiation by a reflecting medium, esp a solid object
- the sound so reflected
- a repetition or imitation, esp an unoriginal reproduction of another’s opinions
- something that evokes memories, esp of a particular style or era
- (sometimes plural) an effect that continues after the original cause has disappeared; repercussionthe echoes of the French Revolution
- a person who copies another, esp one who obsequiously agrees with another’s opinions
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- the signal reflected by a radar target
- the trace produced by such a signal on a radar screen
- the repetition of certain sounds or syllables in a verse line
- the quiet repetition of a musical phrase
- Also called: echo organ, echo stop a manual or stop on an organ that controls a set of quiet pipes that give the illusion of sounding at a distance
- an electronic effect in recorded music that adds vibration or resonance
verb -oes, -oing or -oed
- to resound or cause to resound with an echothe cave echoed their shouts
- (intr) (of sounds) to repeat or resound by echoes; reverberate
- (tr) (of persons) to repeat (words, opinions, etc), in imitation, agreement, or flattery
- (tr) (of things) to resemble or imitate (another style, earlier model, etc)
- (tr) (of a computer) to display (a character) on the screen of a visual display unit as a response to receiving that character from a keyboard entry
noun
- either of two US passive communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1960
noun
- Greek myth a nymph who, spurned by Narcissus, pined away until only her voice remained
noun
- communications code word for the letter e
1550s, from echo (n.). Related: Echoed; echoing.
mid-14c., from Latin echo, from Greek echo, personified as a mountain nymph, from or related to ekhe “sound,” ekhein “to resound,” from PIE root *swagh- “to resound” (cf. Sanskrit vagnuh “sound,” Latin vagire “to cry,” Old English swogan “to resound”). Related: Echoes.
- A repeated sound that is caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface. The sound is heard more than once because of the time difference between the initial production of the sound waves and their return from the reflecting surface.
- A wave that carries a signal and is reflected. Echoes of radio signals (carried by electromagnetic waves) are used in radar to detect the location or velocity of distant objects.