From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Measurementdecibeldec‧i‧bel /ˈdesəbel, -bəl/ noun [countable] (written abbreviation dB)TMa unit for measuring the loudness of sound
noise levels exceeding 85 decibelsExamples from the Corpusdecibel• About 15 percent were listening at levels of 110-115 decibels.• NoiseBuster reduces up to 15 decibels in that frequencybandwidth.• To give you an idea what that means, 80 decibels is generated by a typicalalarmclock.• Noise levels in factories must not exceed 85 decibels.• At 95 decibels, about the sound level of a lawnmower, workers are allowed four hours' exposure.• Any bar or disco which exceeds its permitteddecibellimit can be shut down on the spot for the night by police.• Twenty-five dollars was considerably more than he expected, they must have been charging by the decibel.• Tonight's contribution is awesome in the decibels of that noise.• The acoustics of an emptygarage or any interiorlocationintensifies the decibels to an unbearable level.Origindecibel(1900-2000)deci- + bel unit of sound power ((20-21 centuries)), from Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), US inventor
