English - Etymology

From Anglo-Norman sillabe, from Old French silabe, from Latin syllaba, from Ancient Greek συλλαβή (sullabḗ), from συλλαμβάνω (sullambánō, “I gather together”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).

English - Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪləbɫ/

English - Noun

syllable (plural syllables)

1. (linguistics) A unit of human speech that is interpreted by the listener as a single sound, although syllables usually consist of one or more vowel sounds, either alone or combined with the sound of one or more consonants; a word consists of one or more syllables.
2. The written representation of a given pronounced syllable.
3. A small part of a sentence or discourse; anything concise or short; a particle.
   • Hooker

     Before any syllable of the law of God was written.

   • Shakespeare

     Who dare speak / One syllable against him?

Derived terms

Translations

English - Verb

syllable (third-person singular simple present syllables, present participle syllabling, simple past and past participle syllabled)

1. (transitive, poetic) To utter in syllables.

   Aery tongues that syllable men's names — Milton.

Translations

韵