vocal
Noun · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Adjective (4)
- relating to or designed for or using the singing voice“vocal technique”“the vocal repertoire”“organized a vocal group to sing his compositions”Opposite instrumentalRelating to phonation
- having or using the power to produce speech or sound“vocal organs”“all vocal beings hymned their praise”Relating to phonation
- given to expressing yourself freely or insistently“outspoken in their opposition to segregation”“a vocal assembly”Synonyms: outspokenOpposite incommunicativeSimilar communicative, communicatory
- full of the sound of voices“a playground vocal with the shouts and laughter of children”Opposite softSimilar loud
Noun (2)vocals
- music intended to be performed by one or more singers, usually with instrumental accompanimentSynonyms: vocal musicType of music
- a short musical composition with words“a successful musical must have at least three good songs”Synonyms: songType of musical composition, opusKinds ballad, dirge, lullaby, ditty, drinking song, torch song, aria, serenade, folk song, lied +11 moreParts lyric, refrain
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Adjective of or pertaining to the voice or speech
Adjective uttered or modulated by the voice
- Portuguese
- vocal
- Russian
- вока́льный vokálʹnyj
- Arabic
- صوتي ṣawtī
- Swedish
- vokal
- Greek
- φωνητικός fonitikós
- Vietnamese
- thanh nhạc
- Portuguese (PT)
- vocal
- Catalan
- vocal
- Georgian
- ვოკალური voḳaluri
- Welsh
- llafar
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: L. vocalis, fr. vox, vocis, voice: cf. F. vocal. See Voice, and cf. Vowel.
1. Of or pertaining to the voice or speech; having voice; endowed with utterance; full of voice, or voices.
To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song.— John Milton
2. Uttered or modulated by the voice; oral; as, vocal melody; vocal prayer. “Vocal worship.” John Milton
3. Of or pertaining to a vowel or voice sound; also, spoken with tone, intonation, and resonance; sonant; sonorous; — said of certain articulate sounds.
4. Phon. (a) Consisting of, or characterized by, voice, or tone produced in the larynx, which may be modified, either by resonance, as in the case of the vowels, or by obstructive action, as in certain consonants, such as v, l, etc., or by both, as in the nasals m, n, ng; sonant; intonated; voiced. See Voice, and Vowel, also Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 199-202. (b) Of or pertaining to a vowel; having the character of a vowel; vowel.
Vocal cords or Vocal chords. plural noun Anatomy The two pairs of mucous membranes that project into the larynx, and which produce the sounds of speech by vibrating under the influence of air exhaled from the lungs. See Larynx, and the Note under Voice, noun, 1. — Vocal fremitus Medicine, the perceptible vibration of the chest wall, produced by the transmission of the sonorous vibrations during the act of using the voice. — Vocal music, music made by the voice, in distinction from instrumental music; hence, music or tunes set to words, to be performed by the human voice. — Vocal tube Anatomy, the part of the air passages above the inferior ligaments of the larynx, including the passages through the nose and mouth.
Origin: Cf. F. vocal, LL. vocalis.
1. Phon. A vocal sound; specifically, a purely vocal element of speech, unmodified except by resonance; a vowel or a diphthong; a tonic element; a tonic; — distinguished from a subvocal, and a nonvocal.
2. Roman Catholic Church A man who has a right to vote in certain elections.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54