echo

noun

• 1 (plural echoes) a sound or sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener:the walls threw back the echoes of his footsteps
• a reflected radio or radar beam.
• [mass noun] the deliberate introduction of reverberation into a sound recording.
• Linguistics the repetition in structure and content of one speaker’s utterance by another.

• 2a close parallel to an idea, feeling, or event:his love for her found an echo in her own feelings
• a characteristic that is suggestive of something else:the cheese has a sharp rich aftertaste with echoes of salty, earthy pastures

• 3 archaic a person who slavishly repeats the words or opinions of another: Clarendon, whom they reckoned the faithful echo of their master’s intentions

• 4 Bridge a play by a defender of a higher card in a suit followed by a lower one in a subsequent trick, used as a signal to request a further lead of that suit by their partner.

• 5a code word representing the letter E, used in radio communication.

• 6used in names of newspapers:the South Wales Echo

verb (echoes, echoing, echoed)

• 1 [no object, with adverbial] (of a sound) be repeated or reverberate after the original sound has stopped:their footsteps echoed on the metal catwalks
• (of a place) resound with or reflect back a sound:the house echoed with shouts
• [with object] repeat (someone’s words or opinions), typically to express agreement:these criticisms are echoed in a number of other studies [with direct speech]:‘A trip?’ she echoed

• 2 [with object] (of an object or event) be reminiscent of or have shared characteristics with:a blue suit that echoed the colour of her eyes

• 3 [with object] Computing send a copy of (an input signal or character) back to its source or to a screen for display: for security reasons, the password will not be echoed to the screen

• 4 [no object] Bridge (of a defender) play a higher card followed by a lower one in the same suit, as a signal to request one’s partner to lead that suit.