Decibel
noun
A unit for measuring how loud a sound is.
The noise of the jet engine was over 120 decibels.
Often appears as...
- decibel level
- decibel range
Usage tips
Technical
noun
A unit that measures the intensity of many different things in electronics and telecommunications.
The signal strength of this router can reach up to 20 decibels.
Often appears as...
- decibel gain
- decibel rating
Usage tips
Technical,Academic
noun
A unit for measuring how loud a sound is.
The noise of the jet engine was over 120 decibels.
Often appears as...
- decibel level
- decibel range
Usage tips
Technical
noun
A unit that measures the intensity of many different things in electronics and telecommunications.
The signal strength of this router can reach up to 20 decibels.
Often appears as...
- decibel gain
- decibel rating
Usage tips
Technical,Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Volume Measurement
Decibels quantify sound volume, with higher values indicating louder sounds.
Whispers are around 30 decibels.
Pro Tip 2/3Threshold of Pain
Pain threshold begins at around 120 decibels for humans, so anything above can be harmful.
A rock concert can hit 120 decibels, requiring ear protection.
Pro Tip 3/3Logarithmic Scale
Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, so each 10-decibel increase represents a tenfold increase in intensity.
60 decibels is ten times louder than 50 decibels.
Pro Tip 1/3Volume Measurement
Decibels quantify sound volume, with higher values indicating louder sounds.
Whispers are around 30 decibels.
Pro Tip 2/3Threshold of Pain
Pain threshold begins at around 120 decibels for humans, so anything above can be harmful.
A rock concert can hit 120 decibels, requiring ear protection.
Pro Tip 3/3Logarithmic Scale
Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, so each 10-decibel increase represents a tenfold increase in intensity.
60 decibels is ten times louder than 50 decibels.
Pro Tip 1/3Volume Measurement
Decibels quantify sound volume, with higher values indicating louder sounds.
Whispers are around 30 decibels.
Pro Tip 2/3Threshold of Pain
Pain threshold begins at around 120 decibels for humans, so anything above can be harmful.
A rock concert can hit 120 decibels, requiring ear protection.
Pro Tip 3/3Logarithmic Scale
Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, so each 10-decibel increase represents a tenfold increase in intensity.
60 decibels is ten times louder than 50 decibels.
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Video examples
Charles Limb: Building...
Music is entirely different. When you hear music, if it doesn't sound good, what's the point? There's really very little point in listening to music when it doesn't sound good to you. The acoustics of music are much harder than those of language. And you can see on this figure, that the frequency range and the decibel range, the dynamic range of music
Video examples
Experiment! How Does An...
It's amazing. But what have the microphones picked up? The decibel waveform show the sound being generated by the birds in flight.
Video examples
Charles Limb: Building...
Music is entirely different. When you hear music, if it doesn't sound good, what's the point? There's really very little point in listening to music when it doesn't sound good to you. The acoustics of music are much harder than those of language. And you can see on this figure, that the frequency range and the decibel range, the dynamic range of music
Video examples
Experiment! How Does An...
It's amazing. But what have the microphones picked up? The decibel waveform show the sound being generated by the birds in flight.
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Patrice O'Neal
American Comedian
Not everybody should be laughing at everything at the same time. That's not even natural. My thing is to feel natural, because I don't want to feel like I could just make people laugh at every single joke, every single time, with the same decibel level.
Quote examples
Tracy K. Smith
American Poet
My hope is to create spaces where people of all stripes can come together and speak at a lower decibel level. We make more sense that way. We sound more like our real selves that way.
Quote examples
John J. McLaughlin
American Journalist
Despite the occasional high decibel level, 'The Group' is not a shout fest. I don't simply want panelists with opposing opinions trying to out-shout one another.
Quote examples
Robin Hayes
American Politician
Drone manufacturers have yet to create a drone capable of delivering packages while operating at a decibel level that isn't disruptive to communities.
Quote examples
Joe Trohman
American Musician
I have an amp that doesn't have a master volume. It sounds awesome, but we just can't get an appropriate decibel level out of it.
Quote examples
Steven Price
Musician
I worry about technical details - did I mix the cello half a decibel too high? Things like that.
Quote examples
Patrice O'Neal
American Comedian
Not everybody should be laughing at everything at the same time. That's not even natural. My thing is to feel natural, because I don't want to feel like I could just make people laugh at every single joke, every single time, with the same decibel level.
Quote examples
Tracy K. Smith
American Poet
My hope is to create spaces where people of all stripes can come together and speak at a lower decibel level. We make more sense that way. We sound more like our real selves that way.
Quote examples
John J. McLaughlin
American Journalist
Despite the occasional high decibel level, 'The Group' is not a shout fest. I don't simply want panelists with opposing opinions trying to out-shout one another.
Quote examples
Robin Hayes
American Politician
Drone manufacturers have yet to create a drone capable of delivering packages while operating at a decibel level that isn't disruptive to communities.
Quote examples
Joe Trohman
American Musician
I have an amp that doesn't have a master volume. It sounds awesome, but we just can't get an appropriate decibel level out of it.
Quote examples
Steven Price
Musician
I worry about technical details - did I mix the cello half a decibel too high? Things like that.
Example 1 of 6
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