alliteration

C2 Topic:Communication
US /əˌlɪtəˈreɪʃən/ UK /əˌlɪtəˈreɪʃən/
noun Freq #57175

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, especially in a phrase or line of verse

    The phrase ‘wild winds’ uses alliteration to create rhythm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · the repetition of the same... initial rhymehead rhyme
Word family
Derived forms alliterationist

Etymology

From New Latin alliteratio, coined from Latin ad, ‘to or toward,’ and littera, ‘letter.’ The term entered English in the seventeenth century.

Topics

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