resonance

res•o•nance

[[t]ˈrɛz ə nəns[/t]] n.

1) the state or quality of being resonant

2) the prolongation of sound by reflection; reverberation

3) phn

a) amplification of a source of speech sounds, esp. of phonation, by sympathetic vibration of the air, esp. in the cavities of the mouth, nose, and pharynx

b) phn a characteristic quality of a particular voiced speech sound imparted by the distribution of amplitudes among the cavities of the head, chest, and throat

4)

a) phs a larger than normal vibration produced in response to a stimulus whose frequency is close to the natural frequency of the vibrating system

b) phs any of the states of an oscillating system, as an electric circuit, in which a value much larger than average is maintained for a given frequency

5) cvb a quality of enriched significance, profundity, or allusiveness:

The poem has a resonance beyond its surface meaning[/ex]

6) chem. the chemical phenomenon in which the arrangement of the valence electrons of a molecule changes back and forth between two or more states

7) med (in percussing for diagnostic purposes) a sound produced when air is present

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Etymology: 1485–95; < MF < L resonantia echo =reson(āre) to resound+-antia -ance