echo

[ek-oh] /ˈɛk oʊ/
noun, plural echoes.
1.
a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.
2.
a sound heard again near its source after being reflected.
3.
any repetition or close imitation, as of the ideas or opinions of another.
4.
a person who reflects or imitates another.
5.
a sympathetic or identical response, as to sentiments expressed.
6.
a lingering trace or effect.
7.
(initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. a mountain nymph who pined away for love of the beautiful youth Narcissus until only her voice remained.
8.
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.
9.
Electronics. the reflection of a radio wave, as in radar or the like.
10.
(initial capital letter) U.S. Aerospace. one of an early series of inflatable passive communications satellites.
11.
a word used in communications to represent the letter E.
verb (used without object), echoed, echoing.
12.
to emit an echo; resound with an echo:
The hall echoed with cheers.
13.
to be repeated by or as by an echo:
Shouts echoed through the street.
verb (used with object), echoed, echoing.
14.
to repeat by or as by an echo; emit an echo of:
The hall echoes the faintest sounds.
15.
to repeat or imitate the words, sentiments, etc., of (a person).
16.
to repeat or imitate (words, sentiments, etc.).
Origin
1300-50; Middle English ecco < Latin ēchō < Greek, akin to ēchḗ sound
Related forms
echoer, noun
echoless, adjective
outecho, verb (used with object), outechoed, outechoing.
subecho, noun, plural subechoes.
unechoed, adjective
unechoing, adjective
Synonyms
12, 13. ring, reverberate.
Examples from the web for echo
  • Here it is surrounded by clouds, which create a light echo.
  • They emit squeaks and gauge their environment based on the echo returned.
  • The report sounds some alarms that echo what has appeared elsewhere.
  • He says the census-driven spike in the former should produce an echo of a spike in the latter.
  • The sound waves bounce off the fish and echo back to the whale.
  • Besides the politician echo the calls of the movement.
  • Large, sculptural blue-gray and yellow agaves saved from the old garden echo the building's colors.
  • He replaced the standard studio echo chamber with his own electronic echo, created by his guitar.
  • Even people on the left are beginning to echo these complaints.
  • Their loud calls, squawks, and screams echo through the forest canopy.
British Dictionary definitions for echo

echo

/ˈɛkəʊ/
noun (pl) -oes
1.
  1. the reflection of sound or other radiation by a reflecting medium, esp a solid object
  2. the sound so reflected
2.
a repetition or imitation, esp an unoriginal reproduction of another's opinions
3.
something that evokes memories, esp of a particular style or era
4.
(sometimes pl) an effect that continues after the original cause has disappeared; repercussion: the echoes of the French Revolution
5.
a person who copies another, esp one who obsequiously agrees with another's opinions
6.
  1. the signal reflected by a radar target
  2. the trace produced by such a signal on a radar screen
7.
the repetition of certain sounds or syllables in a verse line
8.
the quiet repetition of a musical phrase
9.
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
10.
an electronic effect in recorded music that adds vibration or resonance
verb -oes, -oing, -oed
11.
to resound or cause to resound with an echo: the cave echoed their shouts
12.
(intransitive) (of sounds) to repeat or resound by echoes; reverberate
13.
(transitive) (of persons) to repeat (words, opinions, etc), in imitation, agreement, or flattery
14.
(transitive) (of things) to resemble or imitate (another style, earlier model, etc)
15.
(transitive) (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
Derived Forms
echoing, adjective
echoless, adjective
echo-like, adjective
Word Origin
C14: via Latin from Greek ēkhō; related to Greek ēkhē sound

Echo1

/ˈɛkəʊ/
noun
1.
either of two US passive communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1960

Echo2

/ˈɛkəʊ/
noun
1.
(Greek myth) a nymph who, spurned by Narcissus, pined away until only her voice remained

Echo3

/ˈɛkəʊ/
noun
1.
(communications) code word for the letter e
Word Origin and History for echo
n.

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.

v.

1550s, from echo (n.). Related: Echoed; echoing.

echo in Science
echo
  (ěk'ō)   

  1. 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.

  2. 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.


echo in Technology

1. A topic group on FidoNet's echomail system.
Compare newsgroup.
2. A Unix command that just prints its arguments.
[Jargon File]
Related Abbreviations for echo

ECHO

  1. Each Community Helps Others
  2. Exchange Clearing House
  3. Expo Collectors and Historians Organization