noise Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
    • he enjoyed the street noises
    • they heard indistinct noises of people talking
    • during the firework display that ended the gala the noise reached 98 decibels
  2. noun the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience
    racket; dissonance.
    • modern music is just noise to me
  3. noun electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication
    disturbance; interference.
  4. noun a loud outcry of protest or complaint
    • the announcement of the election recount caused a lot of noise
    • whatever it was he didn't like it and he was going to let them know by making as loud a noise as he could
  5. noun incomprehensibility resulting from irrelevant information or meaningless facts or remarks
    • all the noise in his speech concealed the fact that he didn't have anything to say
  6. noun the quality of lacking any predictable order or plan
    stochasticity; randomness; haphazardness.
  7. verb emit a noise
    make noise; resound.

WordNet

Noise noun
Etymology
F. noise noisy strife, quarrel, brawl, fr. L. nausea seasickness, sickness, disgust. See Nausea.
Definitions
  1. Sound of any kind.
    The heavens turn about in a most rapid motion without noise to us perceived. Bacon.
    ✍ Noise is either a sound of too short a duration to be determined, like the report of a cannon; or else it is a confused mixture of many discordant sounds, like the rolling of thunder or the noise of the waves. Nevertheless, the difference between sound and noise is by no means precise. Ganot.
  2. Especially, loud, confused, or senseless sound; clamor; din.
  3. Loud or continuous talk; general talk or discussion; rumor; report. "The noise goes." Shak.
    What noise have we had about transplantation of diseases and transfusion of blood! T. Baker.
    Soerates lived in Athens during the great plague which has made so much noise in all ages. Spectator.
  4. Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band. Obs. Milton.
    The king has his noise of gypsies. B. Jonson.
    Syn. -- Cry; outcry; clamor; din; clatter; uproar.
Noise intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To sound; to make a noise. Milton.
Noise transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Noised ; present participle & verbal noun Noising
Definitions
  1. To spread by rumor or report.
    All these sayings were noised abroad. Luke i. 65.
  2. To disturb with noise. Obs. Dryden.

Webster 1913