Phon Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Etymology

Examples

phon 1 American [fon] / fɒn /

noun

1. a unit for measuring the apparent loudness of a sound, equal in number for a given sound to the intensity in decibels of a sound having a frequency of 1000 cycles per second when, in the judgment of a group of listeners, the two sounds are of equal loudness.

phon- 2 American

1. variant of phono- before a vowel.

   phonic.

phon. 3 American

abbreviation

1. phonetics.

phon. 1 British

abbreviation

1. Also: phonet. phonetics

2. phonology

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 phon 2 British / fɒn /

noun

1. a unit of loudness that measures the intensity of a sound by the number of decibels it is above a reference tone having a frequency of 1000 hertz and a root-mean-square sound pressure of 20 × 10 –6 pascal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 phon Scientific / fŏn /

1. A unit of apparent loudness. The loudness of a signal in phons is equal to the intensity in decibels of a 1,000-hertz tone judged to be as loud as the signal being measured.

Etymology

Origin of phon

First recorded in 1930–35, phon is from the Greek word phōnḗ voice

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They were identified as Phon Sutton, 85, and Dara Sutton, 72, both of Payson, Arizona.

From Seattle Times

Trial Judge Phon Wang, noting that the younger Yagman had “used his skills as an advocate to convince himself that his misconduct was okay at the time,” took him at his word that “he has evolved as a person” and acknowledged that he had repaid all his bankruptcy creditors.

From Los Angeles Times

It even has a name, as I’m reminded each December when it reappears and circulates like those boxes of Thin Mints: “PHON.O’s Calm Down Edit.”

From Washington Post

I do not know much about Mr. PHON.O — a prolific-seeming Berlin-based techno producer whose Bandcamp reflects an occasional penchant for “Slow as Fog” ambient explorations in the same sonically misty vein as his perennially viral Wham! edit, first posted online six years ago.

From Washington Post

What I do know is that by simply spiking the cloyingly sweet nog of “Last Christmas” with a generous ladleful of virtual codeine, PHON.O has given me a gift that, year after year, just keeps on giving.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.