susurrus

/ˈsuː.sə.ɹəs/

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin susurrus (“a humming, whispering”); reduplication of imitative Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”).

Why this word is great

SUSURRUS — [Noun] A whispering or rustling sound; a murmur. From Latin susurrus ("a humming, whispering"), a reduplication of imitative Proto-Indo-European *swer- ("to buzz, hum"). Unlike "murmur" (a low, indistinct sound, often of voices, lacking the specific soft, rustling quality of susurrus) or "rustle" (a light, dry sound, typically of leaves or paper, without the whispering or humming connotation), susurrus is the sound of secrets passed between lovers in a crowded room, of wind threading through a field of tall grass at dusk, or of distant applause fading into the hush of an emptying theater—the audible ghost of something just beyond comprehension.

noun

  1. A whispering or rustling sound; a murmur.“[Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was] pelted with buckets of water by firemen, and, finally, currycombed and rubbed down by two grooms, keeping a sharp susurrus between them, so as to soothe his wounded feelings; […]”