photoacoustics

P3H4O1T1O1A1C3O1U1S1T1I1C3S1

noun

The emission of sound from a material illuminated by a modulated light source

OriginEnglish acoustics ← Medieval Latin acousticus ← Ancient Greek ᾰ̓κουστῐκός (ăkoustĭkós) →
Scrabble 23
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Meanings

nounphotoacoustics (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe emission of sound from a material illuminated by a modulated light source

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ṓws
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ḱh₂owsyéti
  12. Proto-Hellenic*akóuhō
  13. Ancient Greekἀκούω (akoúō)
  14. Ancient Greekᾰ̓κουστῐκός (ăkoustĭkós)
  15. Medieval Latinacousticus
  16. Englishacoustic
  17. Englishacoustics
  18. Englishphotoacoustics

From photo- + acoustics.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

photoacoustics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photoacoustics

MLA

“photoacoustics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photoacoustics. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photoacoustics,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photoacoustics.

Source: photoacoustics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.