dichotic

adjective

dich·​otic (ˌ)dī-ˈkō-tik How to pronounce dichotic (audio)
: relating to or involving the presentation of a stimulus to one ear that differs in some respect (such as pitch, loudness, frequency, or energy) from a stimulus presented to the other ear
dichotic listening
dichotically adverb

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German dichotisch, from dich- dich- + -otisch -otic entry 2

Note: Term introduced by the German psychologist Carl Stumpf (1848-1936) in "Differenztöne und Konsonanz," Zeitschrift für Psychologie und Physiologie der Sinnesorgane, Band 39 (1905), p. 276. Stumpf attributes the coinage (along with that of diotisch "diotic" and monotisch "monotic") to his colleague H. Diels.

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dichotic was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near dichotic

Cite this Entry

“Dichotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dichotic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

dichotic

adjective
dich·​otic (ˈ)dī-ˈkōt-ik How to pronounce dichotic (audio)
: relating to or involving the presentation of a stimulus to one ear that differs in some respect (as pitch, loudness, frequency, or energy) from a stimulus presented to the other ear
dichotic listening
dichotically adverb
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