vocal

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: vo=cal

CIDE DICTIONARY

vocal, a. [L. vocalis, fr. vox, vocis, voice: cf. F. vocal. See Voice, and cf. Vowel.].

•  Of or pertaining to the voice or speech; having voice; endowed with utterance; full of voice, or voices.  [1913 Webster]

  "To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,
  Made vocal by my song."  [1913 Webster]
•  Uttered or modulated by the voice; oral; as, vocal melody; vocal prayer.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to a vowel or voice sound; also, spoken with tone, intonation, and resonance; sonant; sonorous; -- said of certain articulate sounds.  [1913 Webster]
•  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, 1913 Webster]

Vocal cords or Vocal chords. n. pl. (Anat.) 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, n., 1. -- Vocal fremitus [L. fremitus a dull roaring or murmuring] (Med.), 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 (Anat.), the part of the air passages above the inferior ligaments of the larynx, including the passages through the nose and mouth.

vocal, n. [Cf. F. vocal, LL. vocalis.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A man who has a right to vote in certain elections.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vocal, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 of or concerned with or uttered by the voice (a vocal communication).
2 expressing one's feelings freely in speech (was very vocal about his rights).
3 Phonet. voiced.
4 poet. (of trees, water, etc.) endowed with a voice or a similar faculty.
5 (of music) written for or produced by the voice with or without accompaniment (cf. INSTRUMENTAL).
--n.
1 (in sing. or pl.) the sung part of a musical composition.
2 a musical performance with singing.

Idiom

vocal cords folds of the lining membrane of the larynx near the opening of the glottis, with edges vibrating in the air-stream to produce the voice. vocal score a musical score showing the voice parts in full.

Derivative

vocality n. vocally adv.

Etymology

ME f. L vocalis (as VOICE)

THESAURUS

vocal

alto, articulate, articulated, baritone, bass, bravura, choral, choric, coloratura, dramatic, eloquent, enunciated, expressed, expressive, falsetto, fluent, free, free-spoken, heroic, hymnal, intonated, lingual, linguistic, liturgical, lyric, nuncupative, operatic, oral, outspoken, parol, pronounced, psalmic, psalmodial, psalmodic, round, sacred, said, singing, smooth-spoken, sonant, soprano, sounded, speech, spoken, stentorian, tenor, treble, unwritten, uttered, venting, verbal, viva voce, vocalized, voiced, voiceful, voicing, vowel, vowellike

ROGET THESAURUS

vocal

Voice

N voice, vocality, organ, lungs, bellows, good voice, fine voice, powerful voice, musical voice, intonation, tone of voice, vocalization, cry, strain, utterance, prolation, exclamation, ejaculation, vociferation, ecphonesis, enunciation, articulation, articulate sound, distinctness, clearness, of articulation, stage whisper, delivery, accent, accentuation, emphasis, stress, broad accent, strong accent, pure accent, native accent, foreign accent, pronunciation, homonym, orthoepy, cacoepy, euphony, gastriloquism, ventriloquism, ventriloquist, polyphonism, polyphonist, phonology, vocal, phonetic, oral, ejaculatory, articulate, distinct, stertorous, euphonious, how sweetly sounds the voice of a good woman, the organ of the soul, thy voice is a celestial melody.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.