Etymology From Middle English eccho, ecco, echo, ekko, from Medieval Latin ēccō, from Latin ēchō, from Ancient Greek ἠχώ (ēkhṓ), from ἠχή (ēkhḗ, “sound”). Possibly from the same Proto-Indo-European root as sough.
A reflected sound that is heard again by its initial observer.
The babbling echo mocks the hounds.c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
To you I mourn; nor to the Deaf I ſing, / The Woods ſhall anſwer, and their Echo ring.1709 May, Alexander Pope, “Pastorals. Summer. The Second Pastoral, or Alexis.”, in Poetical Miscellanies: The Sixth Part. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 732:
2 more examples
“Then what is your little trouble?” “My little trouble!” I felt that this sort of thing must be stopped at its source. It was only ten minutes to dressing-for-dinner time, and we could go on along these lines for hours. “Listen, old crumpet,” I said patiently. “Make up your mind whether you are my old friend Reginald Herring or an echo in the Swiss mountains. If you're simply going to repeat every word I say –”1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter X, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7:
Fame is the echo of actions, resounding them.1642, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel for John Williams, […], →OCLC:
Many kind, and sincere speeches found an echo in his heart.1878, Robert Louis Stevenson, Will o' the Mill:
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Figuratively Something that reflects or hearkens back to an earlier thing.
The frustration with the political process that in the '60s led to the formation of resistance groups finds an echo in today's increasingly confrontational tactics.1991 February 4, Owen Shows, “Start Making Sense”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 28, page 11:
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Figuratively An insignificant indirect result; a ripple.
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences The displaying on the command line of the command that has just been executed.
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences An individual discussion forum using the echomail system.
When someone asks an off-topic question […] they are usually quickly told to knock it off. You can't ask a question about modems in an echo devoted to local-area networks.1992, Dial in, page 9:
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Alternative letter-case form of Echo from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.
International standards
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Bridge, Games A signal, played in the same manner as a trump signal, made by a player who holds four or more trumps (or, as played by some, exactly three trumps) and whose partner has led trumps or signalled for trumps.
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Bridge, Games A signal showing the number held of a plain suit when a high card in that suit is led by one's partner.
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An antisemitic punctuation symbol or marking, ((( ))), placed around a name or phrase to indicate the person is Jewish or the entity is controlled by Jewish people; or repurposed or reclaimed to proudly declare one's Jewishness or solidarity with Jews.
[…] his echocardiogram had been read as normal. […] Joseph interrupted, "But my echo was normal. How could it be my heart?"2004, Francis V. Adams, Healing Through Empathy, page 66:
Etymology From Middle English eccho, ecco, echo, ekko, from Medieval Latin ēccō, from Latin ēchō, from Ancient Greek ἠχώ (ēkhṓ), from ἠχή (ēkhḗ, “sound”). Possibly from the same Proto-Indo-European root as sough.
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Of a sound or sound waves: to reflect off a surface and return; to reverberate or resound.
With each clap of thunder echoing from one high building to another the noise was terrific.1953 July, Allen Rowley, “First Impressions of American Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 493:
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Figuratively Of a rumour, opinion, etc.: to spread or reverberate.
The sense that it takes outrageous fortune to get inoculated echoes here in the Bay Area, where pharmacies have canceled flu-shot clinics, doctors turn away pleading patients and health officials are reduced to telling panicked callers that they should practice good personal hygiene.2004 October 29, Marco R. Della Cava, “Vaccine shortage pricks tempers”, in Statesman Journal, volume 152, number 214, Salem, OR, page 2A:
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To reflect back (a sound).
Those peals are echoed by the Trojan throng.1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
The wondrous sound / Is echoed on forever.1827, John Keble, The Christian Year: Christmas Day:
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Figuratively To repeat (another’s speech, opinion, etc.).
Sid echoed his father’s point of view.
‘I want nothing.’ ‘Nor I,’ echoed Sydney.1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:
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Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.2013 July-August, Sarah Glaz, “Ode to Prime Numbers”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
His views were echoed by The Economist, which feared that the effects of modernisation would be no more than “chromium-plated” inefficiency caused by unimaginative railway management and adverse union reaction.2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 43:
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences To repeat its input as input to some other device or system.
The device that is to echo the characters should be optioned for echoplexing.1991, Martin D. Seyer, RS-232 made easy:
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Bridge, Games To give the echo signal, informing one's partner about cards one holds.