noise

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A sound, especially one that is loud or unpleasant.

   The sudden noise made everyone jump.

2. 2
   noun

   Unwanted information or activity that makes it hard to find what really matters.

   It was hard to find the real news among all the online noise.

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Simplified etymology

Noise entered medieval English through early French from Latin nausea. Along the way, the meaning shifted from “seasickness” through “upset” or “malaise” to “disturbance” and “uproar,” producing the modern word and sense.

From Middle English noyse, noise, from Old French noise (“a dispute, wrangle, strife, noise”), of uncertain origin. According to some, from Latin nausia, nausea (“disgust, nausea”); according to others, from Latin noxia (“hurt, harm, damage, injury”); but neither explanation is satisfactory in regard to either form or sense. Potentially a reduced form of Old French enoiier (“to bother, to disturb”), from Latin inodio (“to make repulsive”) - which would make it a doublet of English annoy (“to bother, to irritate”) and English ennui (“boredom, jadedness, depression”). Compare Piedmontese nojé (“…

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