AC'CENT, n. [L. accentus, from ad and cano, cantum, to sing; See Accend.]

1. The modulation of the voice in reading or speaking, as practiced by the ancient Greeks, which rendered their rehearsal musical. More strictly, in English,
2. A particular stress or force of voice upon certain syllables of words, which distinguishes them from the others. Accent is of two kinds, primary and secondary; as in às pi rá tion. In uttering this word, we observe the first and third syllables are distinguished; the third by a full sound, which constitutes the primary accent; the first, by a degree of force in the voice which is less than that of the primary accent, but evidently greater than that which falls on the second and fourth syllables. When the full accent falls on a vowel, that vowel has its long sound, as in vo´cal; but when it falls on an articulation or consonant, the preceding vowel is short, as in hab´it. Accent alone regulates English verse.
3. A mark or character used in writing to direct the stress of the voice in pronunciation. Our ancestors borrowed from the Greek language three of these characters, the acute [´], the grave [`], and the circumflex [~, or ˆ]. In the Greek, the first shown when the voice is to be raised; the second, when it is to be depressed; and the third, when the vowel is to be uttered with an undulating sound.
4. A modulation of the voice expressive of passions or sentiments. The tender accents of a woman's cry. – Prior.
5. Manner of speaking. A man of plain accent. [Obs.] – Shak.
6. Poetically, words, language, or expressions in general. Words on your wings, to haven her accents bear, / Such words as heaven alone is it to hear. – Dryden.
7. In music, a swelling of sounds, for the purpose of variety or expression. The principal accent falls on the first note in the bar, but the third place in common time requires also an accent,
8. A peculiar tone or inflection of voice.

To express accent; to utter a syllable with a particular stress or modulation of the voice. In poetry, to utter or pronounce in general. Also, to note accents by marks in writing. – Locke. Wotten.

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.
   
   

   * 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***prime]pira'b6tion, where the chief stress is on the third syllable, and a slighter stress on the first. Some words, as an***prime]tiap***prime]o-plec'b6tic, in- com***prime]pre-hen***prime]si-bil'b6i-ty, have two secondary accents. See Guide to Pron., t=t= 30-46.

2. To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a mark)] to utter or to mark with accent.
3. 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.
   
   

   * In the ancient Greek the acute accent (***prime]) 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.

4. To mark emphatically; to emphasize.
5. 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.

6. A word; a significant tone
   
   
   ; (p
7. Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
8. A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure.
   
   
   (b)
9. 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***prime], y***Prime].
   
   
   (b) (Trigon.)