Definition of decibel
1a : a unit for expressing the ratio of two amounts of electric or acoustic signal power equal to 10 times the common logarithm of this ratiob : a unit for expressing the ratio of the magnitudes of two electric voltages or currents or analogous acoustic quantities equal to 20 times the common logarithm of the voltage or current ratio
2 : a unit for expressing the relative intensity of sounds on a scale from zero for the average least perceptible sound to about 130 for the average pain level
3 : degree of loudness; also : extremely loud sound —usually used in plural
Explore M-W
Examples of decibel in a Sentence
a rock concert blasting music at 110 decibels
the crowd decibels increased dramatically as the horses neared the finish line
Recent Examples of decibel from the Web
-
The high-decibel outrage being exhibited from Democrats about the Paris Deal is probably too high even for suburban voters, who may be concerned about global warming, but not as a top-tier issue.
-
Now a team of ecologists has found that bugs are shaken up by compressors, too—and by high decibel levels of noise in general.
-
The model at issue in the lawsuit can be heard up to 600 meters (almost 2,000 feet) away, Judge Sweet wrote, and can produce a maximum continuous output of 136 decibels at a distance of one meter.
-
Eventually a train rumbles through at 94 decibels or more, announced by the whine of a motor, the screech of brakes, and the clack of wheels on steel.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decibel'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The unit for measuring the relative intensities of sound is called a decibel. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a sound with an intensity that is twice that of a reference sound corresponds to an increase of little more than 3 decibels. In common practice, the reference point of 0 decibel is set at the intensity of the least perceptible sound, the threshold of hearing. On such a scale a 10-decibel sound is 10 times the intensity of the reference sound; a 20-decibel sound is 100 times the reference intensity, and so on. Normal conversation is usually around 60 decibels, an electric saw around 100 decibels, and amplified rock music around 120 decibels.
Origin and Etymology of decibel
International Scientific Vocabulary deci- + bel
DECIBEL Defined for English Language Learners
decibel
playDefinition of decibel for English Language Learners
-
: a unit for measuring how loud a sound is
DECIBEL Defined for Kids
decibel
playDefinition of decibel for Students
: a unit for measuring the loudness of sounds
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of decibel
1a: a unit for expressing the ratio of two amounts of electric or acoustic signal power equal to 10 times the common logarithm of this ratiob: a unit for expressing the ratio of the magnitudes of two electric voltages or currents or analogous acoustic quantities equal to 20 times the common logarithm of the voltage or current ratio
2: a unit for expressing the relative intensity of sounds on a scale from zero for the average least perceptible sound to about 130 for the average pain level
Learn More about decibel
-
See words that rhyme with decibel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for decibel Spanish Central: Translation of decibel Nglish: Translation of decibel for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about decibel
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up decibel? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!