The persistence of sound in an enclosed space after the original sound source has stopped, caused by multiple reflections. Also refers to an electronic effect that simulates this acoustic phenomenon.
Shortened from 'reverberation', from Latin 'reverberare' meaning 'to beat back' or 'reflect', from 're-' (back) and 'verberare' (to beat). The musical term emerged in the 1960s with electronic music development.
Reverb is essentially sound's echo having a conversation with itself - each reflection bounces off surfaces at slightly different times, creating a complex wash of delayed repetitions. Gothic cathedrals were acoustically designed to maximize reverb, making human voices sound divine and otherworldly.
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