voice

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old French vois, from Latin voc-, vox; akin to Old High German giwahanen to mention, Greek epos word, speech, Sanskrit vāk voice Date: 14th century 1. a. sound produced by vertebrates by means of lungs, larynx, or syrinx; especially sound so produced by human beings b. (1) musical sound produced by the vocal folds and resonated by the cavities of head and throat (2) the power or ability to produce musical tones (3) singer (4) one of the melodic parts in a vocal or instrumental composition (5) condition of the vocal organs with respect to production of musical tones (6) the use of the voice (as in singing or acting) <

studying voice

> c. expiration of air with the vocal cords drawn close so as to vibrate audibly (as in uttering vowels and consonant sounds as \v\ or \z\) d. the faculty of utterance <

lost my voice

> 2. a sound resembling or suggesting vocal utterance 3. an instrument or medium of expression <

the party became the voice of the workers

> 4. a. wish, choice, or opinion openly or formally expressed <

the voice of the people

> b. right of expression; also influential power 5. distinction of form or a system of inflections of a verb to indicate the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses <

active and passive voices

> II. transitive verb (voiced; voicing) Date: 15th century 1. to express in words ; utter <

voice a complaint

> 2. to adjust for producing the proper musical sounds 3. to pronounce (as a consonant) with voice Synonyms: see express