ACCENT


Meaning of ACCENT in English

noun , verb

■ noun / ˈæksent; NAmE ; -sənt/

1.

[ C , U ] a way of pronouncing the words of a language that shows which country, area or social class a person comes from :

a northern / Dublin / Indian / Scottish accent

a strong / broad accent (= one that is very noticeable)

She spoke English with an accent .

—compare dialect

2.

[ sing. ] a special importance that is given to sth

SYN emphasis :

In all our products the accent is on quality.

3.

[ C ] the emphasis that you should give to part of a word when saying it

SYN stress :

In 'today' the accent is on the second syllable.

4.

[ C ] a mark on a letter to show that it should be pronounced in a particular way :

Canapé has an accent on the 'e'.

■ verb

/ ækˈsent/ [ vn ] to emphasize a part of sth

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WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English (in the sense intonation ): from Latin accentus tone, signal, or intensity (from ad- to + cantus song), translating Greek prosōidia a song sung to music, intonation.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.