Onomatopoeia is a literary device that refers to the use or creation of a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. In other words, it is a word that sounds like the thing it is describing. For example, "buzz" imitates the sound of a bee, and "hiss" imitates the sound of a snake. Onomatopoeia can be used in various forms of writing, including poetry, prose, and comic books.

The term "onomatopoeia" comes from the Greek words "onoma," meaning name, and "poiein," meaning to make. Some common examples of onomatopoeic words include animal noises such as "oink," "meow," and "roar," as well as sounds like "sizzle," "crackle," and "pop".

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that works by symbolizing an idea in a phonological context, not necessarily constituting a direct meaningful word in the process. It is a connection or symbolism of a sound that is interpreted and reproduced within the context of a language, usually out of mimicry of a sound. The symbolic properties of a sound in a word, or a phoneme, are related to a sound in an environment and are restricted in part by a languages own phonetic inventory, which is why many languages can have distinct onomatopoeia for the same natural sound.

In summary, onomatopoeia is a literary device that uses words that imitate sounds to create a sensory experience for the reader or listener. It is a figure of speech that works by symbolizing an idea in a phonological context, not necessarily constituting a direct meaningful word in the process.