syllable

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme

   the word `pocket' has two syllables

2. 2
   noun

   A unit of human speech which often forms words corresponding to one opening of the mouth; a vowel and its surrounding consonants.

   I wanted to look up velleity and quotidian and memorize the fuckers for all time, spell them, learn them, pronounce them syllable by syllable—vocalize, phonate, utter the sounds, say the words for all they're worth.

3. 3
   noun

   A small part of a sentence or discourse; anything concise or short; a particle.

   Then let them caſt backe their eyes vnto former generations of men, and marke what was done in the prime of the world. Seth, Enoch, Noah, Sem, Abraham, Iob, and the reſt that liued before any ſyllable of the law of God was written, did they not ſinne as much as wee doe in euery action not commanded?

4. 4
   verb

   To utter in syllables.

   [A] thouſand fantaſies Begin to throng into my memorie Of calling ſhapes, and beckning ſhadows dire, And ayrie tongues, that ſyllable mens names On Sands, and Shoars, and deſert Wilderneſſes.

5. 5
   noun

   The written representation of a given pronounced syllable.

Etymology

From Middle English syllable, sillable, syllabylle, sylabul, from Anglo-Norman sillable, from Old French sillebe, from Latin syllaba, from Ancient Greek συλλαβή (sullabḗ), from συλλαμβάνω (sullambánō, “to gather together”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”).