acous-, acou-, acouo-, acoustico-, acouto-, acousti-, -acousia, -acousis, -acoustical, acu-, -acusis-, -acusia

An area in outer space where sound cannot be transmitted: The anacoustic zone is said to be the upper portion of the earth's atmosphere starting at a hundred miles (160 kilometers) and on into interplanetary space where sound cannot be projected because gas molecules are too far apart to serve as a transferring medium.

The anacoustic zone is also known as the "zone of silence".

The total loss or absence of the ability to perceive sounds; deafness: Due to a genetically inherited defect, Horatio developed anacusia before he was 40 years old.

The propagation of sound through the layer of gases surrounding the Earth's surface affects sound in predictable ways depending on conditions, such as temperature and precipitation: When setting up for the outdoor concert, the sound engineers had to take atmospheric acoustics into consideration, including factors such as moisture in the air, placement of speakers on the ground, etc.

1. The science dealing with the effects of sound fields or mechanical vibrations in living organisms: As an experiment for her botany class in high school, Kelly designed a project to test the bioacoustics of loud music on the growth of sweet peas.
2. The science of communicating sounds that are made by animals: Dolphins are frequently the subject of studies of bioacoustics as zoologists study the communication techniques among them.

An abnormal dullness or lack of hearing: Dr. Sneed concluded that the bradyacusia from which the patient was suffering was caused by a damaged nerve.

The science of reflected sounds: The acoustical engineer, who was hired by the university, understood the catacoustics that were needed in the auditorium. He made the appropriate structural recommendations to cut down on the sounds that were bouncing off the walls.

Regarding the science of refracted sounds; diaphonic: Carson was an expert in diacoustic music in churches and and was researching the qualities of surfaces that refracted or diverted sounds in different directions.

The science dealing with the features of sound when passing through various mediums; diaphonics: Janet studied physics and was especially interested in diacoustics, a branch of physics concerned with refracted sounds.

1. The hearing of the same sound differently by one ear than by the other one so that a single sound is perceived as two: As a musician, Jasper realized that the displacusis from which he suffered was getting progressively worse and he realized that he would need to change careers if his condition could not be cured.

Iris thought she was losing her mind when she first developed diplasusis, because she was concerned that she was hearing duplicate sounds when she was sure she only should have heard just one.

2. Etymology: from Greek dipl-, "two fold, double" + akousis, "hearing".

1. Discomfort caused by loud noises: Because he suffered from dysacousia, Henry always sat in a quiet spot in the library so the noise made by others would not bother him.
2. A disorder characterized by a distortion in the quality of the sounds being heard, such as musical notes: Despite her interest in music, Nancy decided that she would not become a musician because of the dysacousia which made it too difficult for her to distinguish the musical tones.

A hearing defect in which sounds bounce and are repeated instead of being perceived as normally heard sounds: Manfred found that the echoacousia which he was experiencing was very distracting, especially when he was trying to listen to music, his TV, or what people were saying to him.

An auditory condition in which there is an echo effect when someone is hearing sounds: While listening to his favorite band on a CD, Jake was very upset by the echoacuses which were reverberating or being abnormally repeated in his ears.

A reference to the operation or function of a loudspeaker or microphone, etc.: An electroacoustic process involves both electricity and acoustics (sounds) or the relationship of acoustic energy and electric energy.

A device for locating foreign objects in the human body: In surgery, an electroacoustic locator amplifies the sound made when an object is touched by a probe.

The electronic generation and processing of audio signals or the electronic processing of natural sounds, and the manipulation and arrangement of these signals via tape recorders into a finished musical composition: "Electro-acoustic music is recorded and edited on tape and the reproduction involves the use of loudspeakers."

Some electroacoustic music is created by arranging electronically synthesized sounds into a formal pattern with musical qualities which might resemble those of normal musical instruments.