Ultrasonic

How to spell ultrasonic

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce ultrasonic

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does ultrasonic mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to sound waves with a frequency above the upper limit of human hearing.

Ultrasonic in a sentence

• The clinic uses an ultrasonic scanner to examine the patient.

• Jewellers clean delicate rings in an ultrasonic bath.

Where does ultrasonic come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Ultrasonic is a modern scientific coinage assembled entirely from Latin parts. The prefix ultra- means simply 'beyond' or 'on the far side of', the same element found in words like ultraviolet and ultramodern. The core son comes from the Latin sonus, meaning 'sound', which also gives us 'sonic', 'sonar', and 'resonate'. Joined with the adjective ending -ic, the whole word literally describes something 'beyond sound', that is, sound waves at frequencies higher than the human ear can detect. It entered English in the early twentieth century as physics and engineering developed ways to generate and use such high frequencies, and the spelling stays regular because each Latin piece keeps its plain form; the only mild trap is remembering the single c before the -ic ending rather than doubling anything.

How the word is built

• ultra- (beyond)
• son (from Latin sonus: sound)
• -ic (adjective suffix)