Noise
/nɔɪz/noun
A loud or unpleasant sound, or unwanted interference in a signal.
Did you know?In medieval and early modern English, noise could mean a scandal, uproar, or public commotion, so the word carried social disorder long before it became just an audio term.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nes-
“to be ill, to be sick”
Latin
Latin
nausea
“seasickness, nausea”
Late Latin
Latin
nauseare
“to make sick, to nauseate”
Old French
OF
noise
“quarrel, uproar, disturbance”
Middle English
English
noise
“a loud sound, clamor, or commotion”
Modern English
English
noise
“unwanted sound or random signal interference”