Sound or acoustic energy was a form of energy which propagates through matter and is received by a being or device capable of interpreting it. Its intensity can be measured in decibels, while the pitch of sound is measured in hertz. (citation needed • edit) An unwanted or unpleasant sound may be described as noise.
The sound of a transporter was loud and would alert guards before an assault team could be re-materialized. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")
In 2268, Doctor Leonard McCoy found that tribbles made a pleasant sound. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")
Sonic disruptors and hypersonic pulses used high-frequency sound to disable or kill a target. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon"; TNG: "Starship Mine")
The Klingon glob fly was known for a loud buzzing sound. (TNG: "The Outrageous Okona")
Notable examples
Creak
In 2376, while speaking to Maggie O'Halloran, Harry Kim described the creaking of timbers on his "ship" (USS Voyager) (VOY: "Spirit Folk")
According to D'Vana Tendi, the USS Cerritos "shakes and creaks and moans at Warp 7". (LD: "Cupid's Errant Arrow")
In 2401, among the sounds Vadic recalled from the Project Proteus laboratory were the "creaks of cage doors." (PIC: "Dominion")
Noise
In 2364, during the Farpoint Mission on the USS Enterprise-D's maiden voyage, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered "Shut off that damn noise" in response to the red alert klaxon which blared as a result of a force field grid being detected by one of the ship's detector circuits. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
In most Betazoids, their telepathic gifts developed at adolescence; however, occasionally a child was born with their telepathic abilities switched on. Most Betazoids born that way never led a normal life as the noise of other peoples' thoughts and feelings were overwhelming, incomprehensible, and painful, especially to a child. (TNG: "Tin Man")
- See also
- Background noise
- Subspace noise
- Noisemaker
Rattle
A rattle was the sound of objects jostling against each other. A device that made this sound when shaken was also called a rattle.
In 2154, Dr. Phlox described sounds he heard as "bangs, squeaks, rattling chains". (ENT: "Doctor's Orders")
In 2266, Nyota Uhura asked Bobby to fix the door to her quarters, as it made a rattling sound when she opened it. (TOS: "The Man Trap")
Squeak
In 2151, a persistent squeak coming from under the deck plating of Enterprise NX-01 drove Captain Jonathan Archer nuts, until its eventual repair in 2152. (ENT: "Fight or Flight", "Dead Stop") Trip Tucker claimed to have repaired it, but it nevertheless continued until the automated repair station finally fixed it for good. Archer commented that he thought there might be a gremlin under the plates causing the problem. (ENT: "Dead Stop")
In 2154, Dr. Phlox described the sounds he heard as "bangs, squeaks, rattling chains". (ENT: "Doctor's Orders")
In 2401, among the sounds Vadic recalled from the Project Proteus laboratory was "the squeaking of boots on concrete." (PIC: "Dominion")