resonance

[ rez-uh-nuh ns ]

/ ˈrɛz ə nəns /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR resonance ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state or quality of being resonant.

the prolongation of sound by reflection; reverberation.

Phonetics.

amplification of the range of audibility of any source of speech sounds, especially of phonation, by various couplings of the cavities of the mouth, nose, sinuses, larynx, pharynx, and upper thorax, and, to some extent, by the skeletal structure of the head and upper chest.
the distribution of amplitudes among interrelated cavities in the head, chest, and throat that are characteristic for a particular speech sound and relatively independent of variations in pitch.

Physics.

the state of a system in which an abnormally large vibration is produced in response to an external stimulus, occurring when the frequency of the stimulus is the same, or nearly the same, as the natural vibration frequency of the system.
the vibration produced in such a state.
a hadron with a very short lifetime, of the order of 10−23 sec.

Electricity. that condition of a circuit with respect to a given frequency or the like in which the net reactance is zero and the current flow a maximum.

Also called mesomerism. Chemistry. the condition exhibited by a molecule when the actual arrangement of its valence electrons is intermediate between two or more arrangements having nearly the same energy, and the positions of the atomic nuclei are identical.

Medicine/Medical. (in percussing for diagnostic purposes) a sound produced when air is present.

Origin of resonance

1485–95; < Middle French < Latin resonantia echo, equivalent to reson(āre) to resound + -antia -ance

OTHER WORDS FROM resonance

hy·per·res·o·nance, noun

Words nearby resonance

resolvable, resolve, resolved, resolvent, resolving power, resonance, resonance radiation, resonant, resonant cavity, resonant circuit, resonant-jet engine

Example sentences from the Web for resonance

Byrne's voice isn't a singer's voice—it doesn't have the resonance.

The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession |Pauline Kael |November 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And like many of the best songs, their resonance has only deepened with time.

Schoolhouse Rock: A Trojan Horse of Knowledge and Power |Jason Lynch |September 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The crucifixions may be disturbing to Western eyes because of their Biblical resonance.

Islamic Extremists Now Crucifying People in Syria—and Tweeting Out the Pictures |Jacob Siegel |April 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It was only after they were completed that he realized the true scope of their resonance.

Steve Mumford: The Artist Who Went to War |Justin Jones |February 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

An addict could be prescribed Dilaudid with out the stigma and resonance that a drug like heroin carries with it.

Legal, Regulated Heroin Could Have Saved Philip Seymour Hoffman |Valerie Vande Panne |February 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Used like soft pine, but also employed as resonance wood in musical instruments and preferred for paper pulp.

Seasoning of Wood |Joseph B. Wagner
Her voice was without softness or resonance, but it was not nasal—a voice admirably suited, one would think, for calling cows.

The Faith Doctor |Edward Eggleston
Without the furrow in the tongue, no tone is perfect in its resonance, none can make full use of it.

How to Sing |Lilli Lehmann
Her voice was sweet but without strength or resonance, and she took no ardent pleasure in using it.

West Of The Sun |Edgar Pangborn
Even at the Stone Age the rude implements and the materials must have been mostly devoid of resonance.

The Holy Earth |L. H. Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for resonance

resonance

/ (ˈrɛzənəns) /

noun

the condition or quality of being resonant

sound produced by a body vibrating in sympathy with a neighbouring source of sound

the condition of a body or system when it is subjected to a periodic disturbance of the same frequency as the natural frequency of the body or system. At this frequency the system displays an enhanced oscillation or vibration

amplification of speech sounds by sympathetic vibration in the bone structure of the head and chest, resounding in the cavities of the nose, mouth, and pharynx

electronics the condition of an electrical circuit when the frequency is such that the capacitive and inductive reactances are equal in magnitude. In a series circuit there is then maximum alternating current whilst in a parallel circuit there is minimum alternating current

med the sound heard when percussing a hollow bodily structure, esp the chest or abdomen. Change in the quality of the sound often indicates an underlying disease or disorder

chem the phenomenon in which the electronic structure of a molecule can be represented by two or more hypothetical structures involving single, double, and triple chemical bonds. The true structure is considered to be an average of these theoretical structures

physics

the condition of a system in which there is a sharp maximum probability for the absorption of electromagnetic radiation or capture of particles
a type of elementary particle of extremely short lifetime. Resonances are regarded as excited states of more stable particles
a highly transient atomic state formed during a collision process

Word Origin for resonance

C16: from Latin resonāre to resound

Medical definitions for resonance

resonance

[ rĕz′ə-nəns ]

n.

The sound produced by diagnostic percussion of the normal chest.

Intensification of vocal tones during articulation, as by the air cavities of the mouth and nasal passages.

Intensification and prolongation of sound produced by sympathetic vibration.

The property of a compound having simultaneously the characteristics of two or more structural forms that differ only in the distribution of electrons.

Scientific definitions for resonance

resonance

[ rĕz′ə-nəns ]

Oscillation induced in a physical system when it is affected by another system that is itself oscillating at the right frequency. For example, a swing will swing to greater heights if each consecutive push on it is timed to be in rhythm with the initial swing. Radios are tuned to pick up one radio frequency rather than another using a resonant circuit that resonates strongly with the incoming signal at only a narrow band of frequencies. The soundboards of musical instruments, contrastingly, are designed to resonate with a large range of frequencies produced by the instrument. See also harmonic motion.

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