Library / English Dictionary

VOICE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A means or agency by which something is expressed or communicated

Example:

conservatism has many voices

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

agency; means; way (thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end)

Derivation:

voice (give voice to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

Example:

A shrill voice sounded behind us

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

sound (the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voice"):

androglossia (a woman's voice with male qualities)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The ability to speak

Example:

he lost his voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

physical ability (the ability to perform some physical act; contrasting with mental ability)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voice"):

lung-power (the ability to speak loudly)

Derivation:

voice (utter with vibrating vocal chords)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music

Example:

he tried to sing the tenor part

Synonyms:

part; voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

air; line; melodic line; melodic phrase; melody; strain; tune (a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voice"):

primo (the principal part of a duet (especially a piano duet))

secondo (the second or lower part of a duet (especially a piano duet))

voice part (a part written for a singer)

accompaniment; backup; musical accompaniment; support (a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts)

bass; bass part (the lowest part in polyphonic music)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Expressing in coherent verbal form

Example:

I gave voice to my feelings

Synonyms:

articulation; voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

expression; verbal expression; verbalism (the communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinions)

Derivation:

voice (give voice to)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract

Example:

the giraffe cannot make any vocalizations

Synonyms:

phonation; vocalisation; vocalism; vocalization; voice; vox

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voice"):

singing voice (the musical quality of the voice while singing)

sprechgesang; sprechstimme (a style of dramatic vocalization between singing and speaking)

voice over (the voice on an unseen commentator in a film of television program)

Derivation:

voice (utter with vibrating vocal chords)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Something suggestive of speech in being a medium of expression

Example:

he said his voices told him to do it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

communication (something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A sound suggestive of a vocal utterance

Example:

the incessant voices of the artillery

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Sense 9

Meaning:

An advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose

Example:

the meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government

Synonyms:

interpreter; representative; spokesperson; voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

advocate; advocator; exponent; proponent (a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voice"):

bagman; commercial traveler; commercial traveller; roadman; traveling salesman; travelling salesman (a salesman who travels to call on customers)

spokeswoman (a female spokesperson)

spokesman (a male spokesperson)

mouth; mouthpiece (a spokesperson (as a lawyer))

flack; flack catcher; flak; flak catcher (a slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the advantage of their employer)

ambassador (an informal representative)

Sense 10

Meaning:

(metonymy) a singer

Example:

he wanted to hear trained voices sing it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

singer; vocaliser; vocalist; vocalizer (a person who sings)

Domain category:

metonymy (substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in 'they counted heads'))

Sense 11

Meaning:

(linguistics) the grammatical relation (active or passive) of the grammatical subject of a verb to the action that the verb denotes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("voice" is a kind of...):

grammatical relation (a linguistic relation established by grammar)

Domain category:

linguistics (the scientific study of language)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "voice"):

active; active voice (the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is performing the action or causing the happening denoted by the verb)

passive; passive voice (the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give voice to

Example:

He voiced his concern

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "voice" is one way to...):

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

voice (a means or agency by which something is expressed or communicated)

voice (expressing in coherent verbal form)

voicer (a speaker who voices an opinion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter with vibrating vocal chords

Synonyms:

sound; vocalise; vocalize; voice

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "voice" is one way to...):

articulate; enounce; enunciate; pronounce; say; sound out (speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "voice"):

chirk (make a shrill creaking, squeaking, or noise, as of a door, mouse, or bird)

quaver; waver (give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

devoice (utter with tense vocal chords)

Derivation:

voice (the ability to speak)

voice (the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract)

Credits

 Context examples: 

“A great and increasing one,” replied the other, in a low voice.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

A thin, tube-like instrument used to examine the larynx (voice box).

(Laryngoscope, NCI Dictionary)

“Your brother should take the part,” said Mr. Yates, in a low voice.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

But he broke in cursing the doctor, in a feeble voice but heartily.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

An operation to remove all or part of the larynx (voice box).

(Laryngectomy, NCI Dictionary)

Louisa's voice was the first distinguished.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

A drug that is used to treat certain thyroid (a gland located near the voice box) conditions.

(Cytomel, NCI Dictionary)

It is used to help a person talk after removal of the larynx (voice box).

(Electrolarynx, NCI Dictionary)

It is used after removal of a person's larynx (voice box).

(Esophageal speech, NCI Dictionary)

A person whose larynx (voice box) has been removed.

(Laryngectomee, NCI Dictionary)