accent
['æksənt]
n. 重音, 口音, 特点, 重点

vt. 重读, 重音号, 调

1. In the word `today' the accent is on the second syllable.
   today重音音.
2. He spoke with an American accent.
   话带着美英语口音。
3. The accent in the word" importance" is on the second syllable.
   “importance”词重音音。

accent
[ noun ]

1. distinctive manner of oral expression

<noun.communication>
he couldn't suppress his contemptuous accent
she had a very clear speech pattern

2. special importance or significance

<noun.state>
the red light gave the central figure increased emphasis
the room was decorated in shades of grey with distinctive red accents

3. the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

<noun.communication>
the immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English
he has a strong German accent
it has been said that a language is a dialect with an army and navy

4. the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)

<noun.communication>
he put the stress on the wrong syllable

5. a diacritical mark used to indicate stress or placed above a vowel to indicate a special pronunciation

<noun.communication>

[ verb ]

1. to stress, single out as important

<verb.communication> accentuate emphasise emphasize punctuate stress
Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet

2. put stress on; utter with an accent

<verb.communication> accentuate stress
In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word

Accent \Ac*cent"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Accented}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Accenting}.] [OF. accenter, F. accentuer.]
1. To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a
mark); to utter or to mark with accent.

2. To mark emphatically; to emphasize.


Accent \Ac"cent`\, n. [F. accent, L. accentus; ad + cantus a
singing, canere to sing. See {Cant}.]
1. A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon
some particular syllable of a word or a phrase,
distinguishing it from the others.

Note: Many English words have two accents, the primary and
the secondary; the primary being uttered with a greater
stress of voice than the secondary; as in as'pira"tion,
where the chief stress is on the third syllable, and a
slighter stress on the first. Some words, as
an'tiap'o-plec"tic, in-com'pre-hen'si-bil"i-ty, have
two secondary accents. See Guide to Pron., [th][th]
30-46.

2. A mark or character used in writing, and serving to
regulate the pronunciation; esp.:
(a) a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken
accent;
(b) a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel
marked; as, the French accents.

Note: In the ancient Greek the acute accent (') meant a
raised tone or pitch, the grave (`), the level tone or
simply the negation of accent, the circumflex ( ~ or ^)
a tone raised and then depressed. In works on
elocution, the first is often used to denote the rising
inflection of the voice; the second, the falling
inflection; and the third (^), the compound or waving
inflection. In dictionaries, spelling books, and the
like, the acute accent is used to designate the
syllable which receives the chief stress of voice.

3. Modulation of the voice in speaking; manner of speaking or
pronouncing; peculiar or characteristic modification of
the voice; tone; as, a foreign accent; a French or a
German accent. ``Beguiled you in a plain accent.'' --Shak.
``A perfect accent.'' --Thackeray.

The tender accent of a woman's cry. --Prior.

4. A word; a significant tone; (pl.) expressions in general;
speech.

Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear,
Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear. --Dryden.

5. (Pros.) Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.

6. (Mus.)
(a) A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the
beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the
measure.
(b) A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part
of the measure.
(c) The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and
sections of a period.
(d) The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage. --J.
S. Dwight.

7. (Math.)
(a) A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a
little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a
similar kind expressed by the same letter, but
differing in value, as y', y[sec].
(b) (Trigon.) A mark at the right hand of a number,
indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc.; as,
12'27[sec], i. e., twelve minutes twenty seven
seconds.
(c) (Engin.) A mark used to denote feet and inches; as, 6'
10[sec] is six feet ten inches.