voice voice

voice (vois)

n.

1.

a. The sound produced by the vocal organs of a vertebrate, especially a human.

b. The ability to produce such sounds.

2. A specified quality, condition, or pitch of vocal sound: a hoarse voice; the child's piping voice.

3. Linguistics Expiration of air through vibrating vocal cords, used in the production of vowels and voiced consonants.

4. A sound resembling or reminiscent of vocal utterance: the murmuring voice of the forest.

5. Music

a. Musical sound produced by vibration of the human vocal cords and resonated within the throat and head cavities.

b. The quality or condition of a person's singing: a baritone in excellent voice.

c. A singer: a choir of excellent voices.

d. One of the individual vocal or instrumental parts or strands in a composition: a fugue for four voices; string voices carrying the melody. Also called voice part.

6.

a. Expression; utterance: gave voice to their feelings at the meeting.

b. A medium or agency of expression: a newsletter that serves as a neighborhood voice.

c. The right or opportunity to express a choice or opinion: a territory that has a voice, but not a vote, in Congress.

7. Grammar A property of verbs or a set of verb inflections indicating the relation between the subject and the action expressed by the verb: "Birds build nests" uses the active voice; "nests built by birds" uses the passive voice. Also called diathesis.

8. The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or of a character in a book.

tr.v. voiced, voic·ing, voic·es

1. To give voice to; utter: voice a grievance. See Synonyms at vent¹.

2. Linguistics To pronounce with vibration of the vocal cords.

3. Music

a. To provide (a composition) with voice parts.

b. To regulate the tone of (the pipes of an organ, for example).

4. To provide the voice for (a cartoon character or show, for example): The animated series was voiced by famous actors.

Idioms:

at the top of (one's) voice

As loudly as one's voice will allow.

with one voice

In complete agreement; unanimously.

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[Middle English, from Old French vois, from Latin vx, vc-; see wek^w- in Indo-European roots.]

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