Meaning
A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n- Proto-Indo-European *kh₂néti Proto-Italic *kanō Latin canō Latin accinō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus ▲ Ancient Greek προσῳδῐ́ᾱ (prosōidĭ́ā)calq. Medieval Latin accentusbor. Middle French accentbor. Anglo-Norman accentbor. Middle English accent English accent Inherited from Middle English accent, from Medieval Latin accentus and Old French accent, acent, both from Latin accentus, past participle of accinō (“sing to, sing along”), from ad- + canō (“to sing”). The word accent had been borrowed into Old English already, but was lost and reborrowed in Middle English. Displaced native Old English swēġ.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 13 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-06-24TACEMNP
- 2026-04-09CAEFMNT
- 2025-09-01CAINTYE
- 2025-08-28CATNEOV
- 2025-07-30CAOGENT
- 2025-04-22TAPECNX
- 2024-12-08CATIENX
- 2024-05-06CANHEMT
- 2024-02-04AYCTIEN
- 2023-11-23CAEINPT
- 2023-10-16EXATNCI
- 2023-10-01CTAPMEN
+1 earlier appearances in the archive.