ScienceAugust 17, 2026
cacophony
kuh-KAH-fuh-nee
Definition
A harsh, discordant, or unpleasant mixture of loud sounds.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words 'kakos' (bad) and 'phōnē' (sound), it entered English in the mid-17th century to describe loud, jarring noise.
In the news
The author uses this term to describe the intense, jumbled volume of ultrasonic sound detected by researchers when studying bats, and later to describe the noisy, rustling environment of an ant's nest.
Worm munch matters: the new acoustic ecology of the soil
Read the full article ↗Aeon