Advertisement
Advertisement
sound
1[ sound ]
noun
- the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium.
- mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1,087 feet (331 meters) per second at sea level.
- the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause:
the sound of music.
- any auditory effect; any audible vibrational disturbance:
all kinds of sounds.
- a noise, vocal utterance, musical tone, or the like:
the sounds from the next room.
- a distinctive, characteristic, or recognizable musical style, as from a particular performer, orchestra, or type of arrangement:
the big-band sound.
- Phonetics.
- the audible result of an utterance or portion of an utterance: the sound of m in “mere.”
the s-sound in “slight”;
the sound of m in “mere.”
- the auditory effect of sound waves as transmitted or recorded by a particular system of sound reproduction:
the sound of a stereophonic recording.
- the quality of an event, letter, etc., as it affects a person:
This report has a bad sound.
- the distance within which the noise of something may be heard.
- mere noise, without meaning:
all sound and fury.
- Archaic. a report or rumor; news; tidings.
verb (used without object)
- to make or emit a sound.
- to give forth a sound as a call or summons:
The bugle sounded as the troops advanced.
- to be heard, as a sound.
- to convey a certain impression when heard or read:
to sound strange.
- to give a specific sound:
to sound loud.
- to give the appearance of being; seem:
The report sounds true.
- Law. to have as its basis or foundation (usually followed by in ):
His action sounds in contract.
verb (used with object)
- to cause to make or emit a sound:
to sound a bell.
- to give forth (a sound):
The oboe sounded an A.
- to announce, order, or direct by or as by a sound: His speech sounded a warning to aggressor nations.
The bugle sounded retreat.
His speech sounded a warning to aggressor nations.
- to utter audibly, pronounce, or express:
to sound each letter.
- to examine by percussion or auscultation:
to sound a patient's chest.
verb phrase
- Informal.
- to call out one's name, as at military roll call.
- to speak freely or frankly, especially to complain in such a manner.
- to exaggerate; boast:
Has he been sounding off about his golf game again?
sound
2[ sound ]
adjective
a sound heart;
a sound mind.
- financially strong, secure, or reliable:
a sound business;
sound investments.
Synonyms: solvent
- competent, sensible, or valid:
sound judgment.
- having no defect as to truth, justice, wisdom, or reason:
sound advice.
Synonyms: reasonable, rational, logical, valid
- following in a systematic pattern without any apparent defect in logic:
sound reasoning.
- of substantial or enduring character:
sound moral values.
- uninterrupted and untroubled; deep;
sound sleep.
- vigorous, thorough, or severe:
a sound thrashing.
- having no legal defect:
a sound title to property.
- theologically correct or orthodox, as doctrines or a theologian.
adverb
sound asleep.
sound
3[ sound ]
verb (used with object)
- to measure or try the depth of (water, a deep hole, etc.) by letting down a lead or plummet at the end of a line, or by some equivalent means.
- to measure (depth) in such a manner, as at sea.
- to examine or test (the bottom, as of the sea or a deep hole) with a lead that brings up adhering bits of matter.
- to examine or investigate; seek to fathom or ascertain:
to sound a person's views.
- to seek to elicit the views or sentiments of (a person) by indirect inquiries, suggestive allusions, etc. (often followed by out ):
Why not sound him out about working for us?
- Surgery. to examine, as the urinary bladder, with a sound.
verb (used without object)
- to use the lead and line or some other device for measuring depth, as at sea.
- to go down or touch bottom, as a lead.
- to plunge downward or dive, as a whale.
- to make investigation; seek information, especially by indirect inquiries.
noun
- Surgery. a long, slender instrument for sounding or exploring body cavities or canals.
sound
4[ sound ]
noun
- a relatively narrow passage of water between larger bodies of water or between the mainland and an island:
Long Island Sound.
- an inlet, arm, or recessed portion of the sea:
Puget Sound.
- the air bladder of a fish.
Sound
5[ sound ]
noun
- The Sound, a strait between southwestern Sweden and Zealand, connecting the Kattegat and the Baltic. 87 miles (140 km) long; 3–30 miles (5–48 km) wide.
Sound
1/ saʊnd /
noun
- the Sounda strait between SW Sweden and Zealand (Denmark), linking the Kattegat with the Baltic: busy shipping lane; spanned by a bridge in 2000. Length of the strait: 113 km (70 miles). Narrowest point: 5 km (3 miles) Danish nameØresund Swedish nameÖresund
sound
2/ saʊnd /
noun
- a periodic disturbance in the pressure or density of a fluid or in the elastic strain of a solid, produced by a vibrating object. It has a velocity in air at sea level at 0°C of 331 metres per second (741 miles per hour) and travels as longitudinal waves
- ( as modifier )
a sound wave
- modifier of or relating to radio as distinguished from television
sound broadcasting
sound radio
- the sensation produced by such a periodic disturbance in the organs of hearing
- anything that can be heard
- a particular instance, quality, or type of sound
the sound of running water
- volume or quality of sound
a radio with poor sound
- the area or distance over which something can be heard
to be born within the sound of Big Ben
- the impression or implication of something
I don't like the sound of that
- phonetics the auditory effect produced by a specific articulation or set of related articulations
- slang.often plural music, esp rock, jazz, or pop
verb
- to cause (something, such as an instrument) to make a sound or (of an instrument, etc) to emit a sound
- to announce or be announced by a sound
to sound the alarm
- intr (of a sound) to be heard
- intr to resonate with a certain quality or intensity
to sound loud
- copula to give the impression of being as specified when read, heard, etc
to sound reasonable
- tr to pronounce distinctly or audibly
to sound one's consonants
- intrusually foll byin law to have the essential quality or nature (of)
an action sounding in damages
sound
3/ saʊnd /
adjective
- free from damage, injury, decay, etc
- firm; solid; substantial
a sound basis
- financially safe or stable
a sound investment
- showing good judgment or reasoning; sensible; wise
sound advice
- valid, logical, or justifiable
a sound argument
- holding approved beliefs; ethically correct; upright; honest
- (of sleep) deep; peaceful; unbroken
- thorough; complete
a sound examination
- informal.excellent
- law (of a title, etc) free from defect; legally valid
- constituting a valid and justifiable application of correct principles; orthodox
sound theology
- logic
- (of a deductive argument) valid
- (of an inductive argument) according with whatever principles ensure the high probability of the truth of the conclusion given the truth of the premises
- another word for consistent
adverb
- soundly; deeply: now archaic except when applied to sleep
sound
4/ saʊnd /
verb
- to measure the depth of (a well, the sea, etc) by lowering a plumb line, by sonar, etc
- to seek to discover (someone's views, etc), as by questioning
- intr (of a whale, etc) to dive downwards swiftly and deeply
- med
- to probe or explore (a bodily cavity or passage) by means of a sound
- to examine (a patient) by means of percussion and auscultation
noun
- med an instrument for insertion into a bodily cavity or passage to dilate strictures, dislodge foreign material, etc
sound
5/ saʊnd /
noun
- a relatively narrow channel between two larger areas of sea or between an island and the mainland
- an inlet or deep bay of the sea
- the air bladder of a fish
sound
1/ sound /
- A long, wide inlet of the ocean, often parallel to the coast. Long Island Sound, between Long Island and the coast of New England, is an example.
- A long body of water, wider than a strait, that connects larger bodies of water.
sound
2/ sound /
- A type of longitudinal wave that originates as the vibration of a medium (such as a person's vocal cords or a guitar string) and travels through gases, liquids, and elastic solids as variations of pressure and density. The loudness of a sound perceived by the ear depends on the amplitude of the sound wave and is measured in decibels, while its pitch depends on its frequency, measured in hertz.
- The sensation produced in the organs of hearing by waves of this type.
- See Note at ultrasound
Derived Forms
- ˈsoundable, adjective
- ˈsoundly, adverb
- ˈsoundness, noun
Other Words From
- sound·a·ble adjective
- un·sound·a·ble adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of sound1
Origin of sound2
Origin of sound3
Origin of sound4
Word History and Origins
Origin of sound1
Origin of sound2
Origin of sound3
Origin of sound4
Idioms and Phrases
- (that) sounds good (to me), (used when accepting a suggestion) I agree; yes; OK:
“Shall we meet at my place at 3 tomorrow, and talk about it in more detail then?” “Sounds good.”
More idioms and phrases containing sound
- safe and sound
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
But he champions the possibility of audiences becoming "part of this moving exhibition" through the "carnival-esque environment with performance artists with light, with sound".
It might not sound that radical, especially if you're used to stretching your weekly budget.
And she said the sights and sounds of that day have never left her.
Believe me, I’m completely aware that I sound like a Scrooge, a buzzkill harping and carping about innocuous movies that are meant to be little more than background noise while people scroll on their phones.
"We were sleeping peacefully, then suddenly we woke up to the sound of a very powerful explosion," he said.
Advertisement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse