atmospheric static
- noun
- /ˌætməsˈfɪrɪk ˈstætɪk/
- Specialized
:
estática atmosférica
- During the storm, the radio picked up disturbing atmospheric static that made it hard to hear the broadcast.
Examples
-
When the lightning struck, we heard a loud crackle of atmospheric static through the speakers.
-
She had perfected a high level of concentration over the years, and now, all of a sudden, there's been a disruption: atmospheric static.
Fiction book (2002) -
The sudden increase in atmospheric static interfered with the clarity of the radio signal.
Synonyms
37
4.8
A crackling noise on radio or television caused by electrical interference
1
3.8
A hiss or crackle that makes radio signals hard to hear
1
8.4
Crackling or hissing sounds on radios caused by electrical noise in the air
How Noisy
- Specialized
37
4.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'static' denotes interference/noise and 'atmospheric' specifies its source (in the atmosphere), so the combined meaning is clearly 'noise caused by atmospheric disturbances'. This source-modifier noun phrase follows standard English composition and similar patterns in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The term atmospheric static comes from the image of electricity in the air, where the atmospheric part means the air and the static part means the crackle or hiss you hear during storms. So it now means 'a crackling or hissing noise in radios' when electricity in the air disturbs the radio signal.