What does the word 'assonance' mean?

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, especially in poetry. The similarity in sound between two syllables that are close together, created either by the same consonants and the different vowels e.g (hit and heart) or by the same vowels but different consonants e.g (back and hat).
- noun

1.

resemblance of sounds.

2.

Also called vowel rhyme. Pros. rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the stressed syllables of the rhyming Words, as in penitent and reticence.

3.

partial agreement or correspondence.

Example sentences

Origin: 1720-30; < F, equiv. to asson(ant) sounding in answer (see as-, sonant) + -ance -ance