---
title: onomatopoeia — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «onomatopoeia» in the school dictionary: Onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like the noise it describes, such as buzz, bang, sizzle, hiss, splash, cuckoo and woof. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onomatopoeia/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/) / [school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/) / [O](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/) / onomatopoeia

# onomatopoeia

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Onomatopoeia, word, Buzz, poem, you, storm · **What happens:** be, describe, add, make, sound, storm · **To what, where:** noise, one such word, example, onomatopoeia, storm, KAPOW · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«onomatopoeia» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 8 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [onomatopoeia in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/onomatopoeia.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like the noise it describes, such as buzz, bang, sizzle, hiss, splash, cuckoo and woof.

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:m1:1
# text = Onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like the noise it describes, such as buzz, bang, sizzle, hiss, splash, cuckoo and woof.
1	Onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	6	mark	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	sounds	sound	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	like	like	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	noise	noise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	15	case	_	_
14	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	fixed	_	_
15	buzz	buzz	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
17	bang	bang	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
19	sizzle	sizzle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
21	hiss	hiss	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
23	splash	splash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	_	_
25	cuckoo	cuckoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	conj	_	_
26	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	27	cc	_	_
27	woof	woof	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Onomatopoeia |  |  |  |  | like the noise and buzz and bang and sizzle and hiss and splash and cuckoo and woof; sound *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **describe** | present | word | the noise and buzz and bang and sizzle and hiss and splash and cuckoo and woof *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent noise=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An onomatopoeia (or an onomatopoeic word) is one such word.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:m2:1
# text = An onomatopoeia (or an onomatopoeic word) is one such word.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
3	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	onomatopoeic	onomatopoeic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	7	punct	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
11	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a onomatopoeia | one such word |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Buzz» is an example of onomatopoeia.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x1:1
# text = «Buzz» is an example of onomatopoeia.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Buzz	buzz	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	example	example	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Buzz | a example |  |  |  | of onomatopoeia | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The poem is full of onomatopoeia: crash, splash, whoosh.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x2:1
# text = The poem is full of onomatopoeia: crash, splash, whoosh.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	poem	poem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
8	crash	crash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	splash	splash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	whoosh	whoosh	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the poem |  |  |  |  | of onomatopoeia and crash and splash and whoosh; full *property* | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Add some onomatopoeia to make your storm sound real.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x3:1
# text = Add some onomatopoeia to make your storm sound real.
1	Add	add	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	3	det	_	_
3	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
6	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	storm	storm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	sound	sound	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
9	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | some onomatopoeia |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent onomatopoeia=Patient |
| 2 | **make** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* | your storm |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **sound** | infinitive | your storm *not said here* |  |  |  |  | real *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **storm** |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom storm «phenomenon intransitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The comic showed «KAPOW!» when the hero punched.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x4:1
# text = The comic showed «KAPOW!» when the hero punched.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	comic	comic	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	showed	show	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	KAPOW	KAPOW	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
8	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	11	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	hero	hero	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	punched	punch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | past | the comic |  | KAPOW |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent kapow=Recipient |
| 2 | **punch** | past | the hero |  |  |  |  |  | vn carve-21.2-2 «NP V ADVP-Middle»: agent=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«The snake went hiss» uses onomatopoeia.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x5:1
# text = «The snake went hiss» uses onomatopoeia.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	csubj	_	_
5	hiss	hiss	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
7	uses	use	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** *in a quote* | past | the snake | hiss |  |  |  |  | vn meander-47.7 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location hiss=Theme |
| 2 | **use** | present |  | onomatopoeia |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent onomatopoeia=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Can you spell onomatopoeia without looking?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x6:1
# text = Can you spell onomatopoeia without looking?
1	Can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	spell	spell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	onomatopoeia	onomatopoeia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	without	without	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	looking	look	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spell** | can | you | onomatopoeia |  |  |  |  | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Agent onomatopoeia=Theme |
| 2 | **look** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Tick-tock» copies the sound of a clock.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x7:1
# text = «Tick-tock» copies the sound of a clock.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Tick	tick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	tock	tock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	copies	copy	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	clock	clock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **copy** | present | Tick tock | the sound of a clock |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sound=Theme |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In Japanese, a cat's meow is «nyan».

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:onomatopoeia:x8:1
# text = In Japanese, a cat's meow is «nyan».
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	Japanese	Japanese	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
7	meow	meow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	nyan	nyan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | a cat's meow | nyan |  | Japanese |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **meow** |  | a cat |  |  |  |  |  | nom meow «event intransitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [only](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/)
- next →: [onondaga](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/onondaga/)
- ↑ back to [O in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/)