accent

1 : an effort in speech to stress one syllable over adjacent syllables also : the stress thus given a syllable a word with the accent on the second syllable

2 : a distinctive manner of expression: such as

a : a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region spoke with a Russian accent

b : an individual's distinctive or characteristic inflection, tone, or choice of words —usually used in plural

3 : rhythmically significant stress on the syllables of a verse usually at regular intervals

4a : a mark (such as ´, `, ˆ) used in writing or printing to indicate a specific sound value, stress, or pitch, to distinguish words otherwise identically spelled, or to indicate that an ordinarily mute vowel should be pronounced

b : an accented letter

5 music

a : greater stress given to one musical tone than to its neighbors

b : accent mark sense 2

6a : emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition

b : an emphasized detail or area especially : a small detail in sharp contrast with its surroundings

c : a substance or object used for emphasis a plant used as a decorative accent

7 : a mark placed to the right of a letter or number and usually slightly above it: such as

a : a double prime

b : prime

8 : special concern or attention : emphasis an accent on youth

9 archaic : utterance

Definition of accent

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