noise

[noiz] /nɔɪz/
noun
1.
sound, especially of a loud, harsh, or confused kind:
deafening noises.
2.
a sound of any kind:
to hear a noise at the door.
3.
loud shouting, outcry, or clamor.
4.
a nonharmonious or discordant group of sounds.
5.
an electric disturbance in a communications system that interferes with or prevents reception of a signal or of information, as the buzz on a telephone or snow on a television screen.
6.
Informal. extraneous, irrelevant, or meaningless facts, information, statistics, etc.:
The noise in the report obscured its useful information.
7.
Obsolete. rumor or gossip, especially slander.
verb (used with object), noised, noising.
8.
to spread, as a report or rumor; disseminate (usually followed by about or abroad):
A new scandal is being noised about.
verb (used without object), noised, noising.
9.
to talk much or publicly.
10.
to make a noise, outcry, or clamor.
Idioms
11.
make noises, Informal. to speak vaguely; hint:
He is making noises to the press about running for public office.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English < Old French < Latin nausea seasickness. See nausea
Related forms
unnoised, adjective
Synonyms
1. clatter, blare, uproar, tumult. Noise, clamor, din, hubbub, racket refer to unmusical or confused sounds. Noise is the general word and is applied equally to soft or loud, confused or inharmonious sounds: street noises. Clamor and hubbub are alike in referring to loud noises resulting from shouting, cries, animated or excited tones, and the like; but in clamor the emphasis is on the meaning of the shouting, and in hubbub the emphasis is on the confused mingling of sounds: the clamor of an angry crowd; His voice could be heard above the hubbub. Din suggests a loud, resonant noise, painful if long continued: the din of a boiler works. Racket suggests a loud, confused noise of the kind produced by clatter or percussion: He always makes a racket when he cleans up the dishes. 2. See sound1 .
British Dictionary definitions for make noises

noise

/nɔɪz/
noun
1.
a sound, esp one that is loud or disturbing
2.
loud shouting; clamour; din
3.
any undesired electrical disturbance in a circuit, degrading the useful information in a signal See also signal-to-noise ratio
4.
undesired or irrelevant elements in a visual image: removing noise from pictures
5.
talk or interest: noise about strikes
6.
(pl) conventional comments or sounds conveying a reaction, attitude, feeling, etc: she made sympathetic noises
7.
make a noise, to talk a great deal or complain
8.
(informal) make noises about, to give indications of one's intentions: the government is making noises about new social security arrangements
9.
(theatre) noises off, sounds made offstage intended for the ears of the audience: used as a stage direction
verb
10.
(transitive; usually foll by abroad or about) to spread (news, gossip, etc)
11.
(intransitive) (rare) to talk loudly or at length
12.
(intransitive) (rare) to make a din or outcry; be noisy
Word Origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin: nausea
Word Origin and History for make noises

noise

n.

early 13c., "loud outcry, clamor, shouting," from Old French noise "din, disturbance, uproar, brawl" (11c., in modern French only in phrase chercher noise "to pick a quarrel"), also "rumor, report, news," apparently from Latin nausea "disgust, annoyance, discomfort," literally "seasickness" (see nausea).

Another theory traces the Old French word to Latin noxia "hurting, injury, damage." OED considers that "the sense of the word is against both suggestions," but nausea could have developed a sense in Vulgar Latin of "unpleasant situation, noise, quarrel" (cf. Old Provençal nauza "noise, quarrel"). Meaning "loud or unpleasant sound" is from c.1300. Replaced native gedyn (see din).

v.

late 14c., "to praise; to talk loudly about," from noise (n.). Related: Noised; noising.

Slang definitions & phrases for make noises

make noises

verb phrase
  1. To express oneself; speak, esp initially and somewhat vaguely: The Russians began to make noises about leaving
  2. To talk insincerely or uselessly: Do they mean it, or are they making noises? (1951+)

noise

noun
  1. Empty talk; meaningless verbiage; bluster: That press release is plain noise (1940s+)
  2. Heroin (1920s+ Narcotics)
Related Terms

big noise, make noises