n. & v.
n. 1 a unit of pronunciation uttered without interruption, forming the whole or a part of a word and usu. having one vowel sound often with a consonant or consonants before or after: there are two syllables in water and three in inferno. 2 a character or characters representing a syllable. 3 (usu. with neg.) the least amount of speech or writing (did not utter a syllable).
v.tr. pronounce by syllables; articulate distinctly. in words of one syllable expressed plainly or bluntly. syllabled adj. (also in comb.).
[ ME f. AF sillable f. OF sillabe f. L syllaba f. Gk sullabe (as SYN-, lambano take) ]