A type of audio artefact often found on analogue tape media The hiss is typically "white noise", which means that the noise has a frequency spectrum containing all audible frequencies White noise is the type of noise found "between the stations" when tuning in an FM receiver Hiss may be annoying to listen to if there is a lot of it in a recording However, the tape hiss is normally quite even and stable, and is therefore easy to adjust to for the listener
If people hiss at someone such as a performer or a person making a speech, they express their disapproval or dislike of that person by making long loud `s' sounds. One had to listen hard to catch the words of the President's speech as the delegates booed and hissed Some local residents whistled and hissed at them as they entered. Hiss is also a noun. After a moment the barracking began. First came hisses, then shouts. = hissing. American public official. Accused of espionage at the height of the Communist scare, he was convicted of perjury (1950) in a controversial case
To make with the mouth a prolonged sound like that of the letter s, by driving the breath between the tongue and the teeth; to make with the mouth a sound like that made by a goose or a snake when angered; esp
Noise in the audio frequency range, having subjective characteristics analogous to prolonged sibilant sounds (188) Note: Noise in which there are no pronounced low-frequency components may be considered as hiss