Meanings
plural onomatopoeians
- obsoleteA word formed by onomatopoeia.
To slump; to slip, or fall plum down into any dirty, or wet place. It seems to he a word made per onomatopoeian from the sound.
1818, John Ray, “South and East Country Words”, in A compleat collection of English proverbs. To which is added, A collection of English words not generally used. Repr. verbatim from the ed. of 1768, London: T. and J. Allman, page 2691 more example
We have already alluded to the root "ach," as having been in all probability an onomatopœian which gives rise, to a large number of cognate words in the Indo-European languages.
1860, Frederic William Farrar, “The Development of Roots”, in An essay on the origin of language: based on modern researches, and especially on the works of M. Renan, London: John Murray, page 109
comparative more onomatopoeian · superlative most onomatopoeian
- obsoleteOf or pertaining to onomatopoeia.
Hangs is a false word, — a Northern corruption of the negro dialect yang, — an onomatopœian word, representing the "far heard clang" of the wild goose.
1867, Gail Hamilton, Wool-gathering, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, page 185
Origin
Cite this entry
onomatopoeian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onomatopoeian
“onomatopoeian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onomatopoeian. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onomatopoeian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onomatopoeian.
Source: onomatopoeian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.