[a. F. assonance (cf. Sp. asonancia), as if ad. L. *assonāntia, f. assonāre to sound to, respond to, f. as- = ad- to + sonāre to sound.]
1. Resemblance or correspondence of sound between two words or syllables.
1727. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Assonance … where the words of a phrase, or a verse, have the same sound or termination, and yet make no proper rhyme.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), IX. XIV. vii. 222. The numerals are so nearly akin that there would be a close assonance if not identity in the words.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 327. Homer … seems fond of playing with assonances.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul, I. 623. Incessant assonances and balances of clauses and expressions.
2. Pros. The correspondence or rhyming of one word with another in the accented vowel and those that follow, but not in the consonants, as used in the versification of Old French, Spanish, Celtic, and other languages.
1823. T. Roscoe, Sismondi’s Lit. Eur. (1846), I. iii. 85. Assonance or the rhyming of the terminating vowels.
1837. Hallam, Hist. Lit., I. ii. 165. In their lighter poetry the Spaniards frequently contented themselves with assonances … as duro and humo, boca and cosa.
1861. Marsh, Eng. Lang. (1862), 403. The rule of assonance … requires the repetition of the same vowels in the assonant words, from the last accented vowel inclusive. Thus man and hat, nation and traitor, penitent and reticence, are assonant couples of words.
1879. H. Nicol, in Encycl. Brit., IX. 633. In the Roland such assonances occur.
3. A word or syllable answering to another in sound.
1882. Farrar, Early Chr., I. 491. Clopas or Chalpai is a Hebrew name, of which Alphæus is the current assonance.
4. transf. Correspondence more or less incomplete.
1868. J. Stirling, in N. Brit. Rev., XLIX. 387. With an assonance to reality everywhere.
1876. Lowell, Among My Books, Ser. II. 41. Assonance between facts seemingly remote.
