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Voice Definition

voice

Contents

English

Wikipedia has an article on: Voice

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English vois, from Anglo-Norman voiz, voys, voice, Old French vois, voiz (Modern French voix), from Latin vōcem, accusative form of Latin vōx (“voice”), from Proto-Indo-European *wek-, *wekʷ-, *wokʷ- (“to utter, speak”). Cognate with Sanskrit वच् (“to say, speak”), German erwähnen (“to mention”). Displaced native Middle English steven (“voice”), from Old English stefn (see steven), Middle English rouste (“voice”) from Old Norse raust, and Middle English rearde (“voice”) from Old English reord. Compare advocate, advowson, avouch, convoke, epic, vocal, vouch, vowel.

Pronunciation

Noun

voice (plural voices)

  1. Sound uttered by the mouth, especially that uttered by human beings in speech or song; steven; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character; as, the human voice; a pleasant voice; a low voice.
    • He with a manly voice saith his message. — Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman. — Shakespeare, King Lear, V-iii
    • Thy voice is music. — Shakespeare, Henry V, V-ii
    • Join thy voice unto the angel choir. — John Milton
    • 2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle”, BBC Sport:
      Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner had backed manager Houllier during the week and asked for the fans to get behind their team as they looked to steer themselves away from the relegation zone. To that end, the home supporters were in good voice to begin with, but it was Newcastle who started the game in the ascendancy, with Barton putting a diving header over the top from Jose Enrique's cross.
  2. (phonetics) Sound of the kind or quality heard in speech or song in the consonants b, v, d, etc., and in the vowels; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; — distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in f., sg., sh, etc., and also whisper.
  3. The tone or sound emitted by anything
    • After the fire a still small voice. — 1 Kings 19:12
    • Canst thou thunder with a voice like him? — Job 40:9
    • The floods have lifted up their voice. — Psalms 93:3
    • O Marcus, I am warm’d; my heart Leaps at the trumpet’s voice. — Joseph Addison
  4. The faculty or power of utterance; as, to cultivate the voice
  5. Language; words; speech; expression; signification of feeling or opinion
    • I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. — Galatians 4:20
    • My voice is in my sword. — Shakespeare, Macbeth, V-vii
    • Let us call on God in the voice of his church. — Bp. Fell
  6. Opinion or choice expressed; judgment; a vote.
    • Sicinius. How now, my masters! have you chose this man? / 1st Citizen. He has our voices, sir. — Shakespeare, Coriolanus, II-iii
    • Some laws ordain, and some attend the choice / Of holy senates, and elect by voice. — John Dryden
  7. Command; precept; — now chiefly used in scriptural language.
    • So shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. — Deuteronomy 8:20
  8. One who speaks; a speaker.
    • A potent voice of Parliament. — Alfred Tennyson
  9. (grammar) A particular mode of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.
  10. (Internet, IRC) A flag associated with a user on a channel, determining whether or not they can send messages to the channel.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Terms derived from voice (noun)

Verb

voice (third-person singular simple present voices, present participle voicing, simple past and past participle voiced)

  1. (transitive) To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce; to divulge; as, to voice the sentiments of the nation.
    • Rather assume thy right in silence and . . . then voice it with claims and challenges. — Francis Bacon
    • It was voiced that the king purposed to put to death Edward Plantagenet. — Francis Bacon
  2. (transitive, phonology) To utter with sonant or vocal tone; to pronounce with a narrowed glottis and rapid vibrations of the vocal cords; to speak above a whisper.
  3. (transitive) To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of; as, to voice the pipes of an organ.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To vote; to elect; to appoint — Shakespeare
  5. (intransitive, obsolete) To clamor; to cry out, to steven — South
  6. (transitive, Internet) To assign the voice flag to a user on IRC, permitting them to send messages to the channel.

Translations

give utterance or expression to
  • Irish: nocht (ga), cuir in iúl (ga)
  • Japanese: 声に出す (ja) (koe ni dasu)
  • Swedish: uttrycka (sv), ge uttryck för (sv)
utter with a sonant or vocal tone
regulate the tone of
  • Danish: stemme (da)
  • Esperanto: sonigi (eo)
vote
clamor
  • Esperanto: ekkrii (eo)
  • Greek: κραυγάζω (el) (kravgazo) m.
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Related terms

Terms etymologically related to the noun or verb voice

 

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