catacoustics en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥-th₂der.? Proto-Hellenic *kətá Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰ́ (kătắ) Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰ- (kătă-) English cata- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱh₂owsyéti Proto-Hellenic *akóuhō Ancient Greek ἀκούω (akoúō) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek ᾰ̓κουστῐκός (ăkoustĭkós)bor. Medieval Latin acousticusbor. English acoustic Old English -as Middle English -es English -s English acoustics English catacoustics From cata- + acoustics.
Meanings
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(archaic, uncountable) The science which studies reflected sound.
The subject of Catacoustics, or the doctrine of reflected sound, is, perhaps, the most unsatisfactory in its results of any branch of physical science.
1853, J. B. Upham, “A Consideration of some of the Phenomena and Laws of Sound, and their application in the Construction of Buildings designed especially for Musical Effect,”, in American Journal of Science, volume 15, page 224: