noun1. a combination or set of one or more units of sound in a language that must consist of a sonorous element (a sonant or vowel) and may or may not contain less sonorous elements (consonants or semivowels) flanking it on either or both sides: for example "paper" has two syllables
See also open (sense 34b), closed (sense 6a) 2. (in the writing systems of certain languages, esp ancient ones) a symbol or set of symbols standing for a syllable
3. the least mention in speech or print
don't breathe a syllable of it
4. in words of one syllable
verb5. to pronounce syllables of (a text); articulate
6. (transitive) to write down in syllables
Word origin
C14: via Old French from Latin
syllaba, from Greek
sullabē, from
sullambanein to collect together, from
sul- syn- +
lambanein to take