voice: Meaning and Definition of

voice

Pronunciation: (vois), [key]
— n., v., adj. voiced, voic•ing,
—n.
  1. the sound or sounds uttered through the mouth of living creatures, esp. of human beings in speaking, shouting, singing, etc.
  2. the faculty or power of uttering sounds through the mouth by the controlled expulsion of air; speech: to lose one's voice.
  3. a range of such sounds distinctive to one person, or to a type of person or animal: Her voice is commanding.
  4. the condition or effectiveness of the voice for speaking or singing: to be in poor voice.
  5. a sound likened to or resembling vocal utterance: the voice of the wind.
  6. something likened to speech as conveying impressions to the mind: the voice of nature.
  7. expression in spoken or written words, or by other means: to give voice to one's disapproval by a letter.
  8. the right to present and receive consideration of one's desires or opinions: We were given no voice in the election.
  9. an expressed opinion or choice: a voice for compromise.
  10. an expressed will or desire: the voice of the people.
  11. expressed wish or injunction: obedient to the voice of God.
  12. the person or other agency through which something is expressed or revealed: a warning that proved to be the voice of prophecy.
  13. a singer: one of our best voices.
  14. a voice part: a score for piano and voice.
  15. the audible result of phonation and resonance.
  16. the English passive voice; the Greek middle voice.
    1. a set of categories for which the verb is inflected in some languages, as Latin, and which is typically used to indicate the relation of the verbal action to the subject as performer, undergoer, or beneficiary of its action.
    2. a set of syntactic devices in some languages, as English, that is similar to this set in function.
    3. any of the categories of these sets:the English passive voice; the Greek middle voice.
  17. the finer regulation, as of intensity and color, in tuning, esp. of a piano or organ.
  18. the conscience: He was only occasionally troubled by the still, small voice.
  19. in accord; unanimously: They arose and with one voice acclaimed the new president.
—v.t.
  1. to give utterance or expression to; declare; proclaim: to voice one's discontent.
    1. to regulate the tone of, as the pipes of an organ.
    2. to write the voice parts for (music).
  2. to utter with the voice.
  3. to pronounce with glottal vibration.
  4. to interpret from sign language into spoken language.
—adj.
  1. of or pertaining to the use of human or synthesized speech: voice-data entry; voice output.
  2. of or pertaining to the transmission of speech or data over media designed for the transmission of speech: voice-grade channel; voice-data network.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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