[on.o.mato.poe.ia] n [LL, fr. Gk onomatopoiia, fr. onomat-, onoma name + poiein to make--more at poet] (ca. 1577) 1: the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss)
2: the use of words whose sound suggests the sense -- on.o.mato.poe.ic or on.o.mato.po.et.ic adj -- on.o.mato.poe.i.cal.ly or on.o.mato.po.et.i.cal.ly adv