vocal
See also: vocâl
English
Etymology
Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈvəʊ.kəl/
Audio (RP) (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈvoʊ.kəl/
- Rhymes: -əʊkəl
Adjective
vocal (comparative more vocal, superlative most vocal)
- Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
- vocal problems
- (anatomy) Used in the production of speech sounds.
- vocal apparatus
- (music) Relating to, composed or arranged for, or sung by the human voice.
- (phonetics) Consisting of, or characterized by, voice, or tone produced in the larynx, which may be modified, either by resonance, as in the case of the vowels, or by obstructive action, as in certain consonants, such as v, l, etc., or by both, as in the nasals m, n, ng.
- Synonyms: sonant, intonated, voiced
- (phonetics) Synonym of vocalic.
- Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.
- vocal melody, vocal prayer, vocal worship
- Synonyms: oral, audible
- Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless
- Expressing opinions or feelings freely, loudly, or insistently.
- The protesters were very vocal in their message to the mayor.
- Synonyms: outspoken, loud, audible
- Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent
- Having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound.
- 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:
- To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,
Made vocal by my song.
- Synonym: spoken
-
- Synonym of expressive.
- Full of voices.
- Synonym: resounding
Derived terms
- audiovocal
- bivocal
- cricovocal
- monovocal
- nonvocal
- polyvocal
- semivocal
- subvocal
- unvocal
- vocal cord, vocal chord
- vocal fold
- vocal fremitus
- vocal fry
- vocalism
- vocalist
- vocality
- vocalize, vocalise
- vocally
- vocal minority
- vocal music
- vocalness
- vocal sac
- vocal tract
- vocal tube
Translations
of or pertaining to the voice or speech
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characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx
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vocalic — see vocalic
uttered or modulated by the voice
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expressing opinions or feelings freely
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
vocal (plural vocals)
- (phonetics) A vocal sound; specifically, a purely vocal element of speech, unmodified except by resonance; a vowel or a diphthong; a tonic element; a tonic.
- Coordinate terms: subvocal, nonvocal
- (music) A part of a piece of music that is sung.
- Synonym: song
- Hyponyms: backup vocals, lead vocals
- 1975, Billboard (volume 87, number 24, page 50)
- Best cuts: "The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchy vocal by Teresa Brewer).
- (acting) A musical performance involving singing.
- (Catholicism) A man in the Roman Catholic Church who has a right to vote in certain elections.
Derived terms
- off vocal
- vocalic
- vocalese
Related terms
- vocable
- vocabulary
- vocalist
- vocalization
- vocalize
- vocation
- voice
See also
- voice
- vowel
References
- “vocal”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “vocal”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Asturian
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.
Noun
vocal f (plural vocales)
- (grammar) A vowel.
Related terms
- voz
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Valencian) IPA(key): /voˈkal/
- (Central) IPA(key): /buˈkal/
Audio (file) - Homophones: bocal, bucal (Central)
- Rhymes: -al
Adjective
vocal (masculine and feminine plural vocals)
- vocal
Derived terms
- corda vocal
- vocalista
- vocalitzar
- vocalment
Related terms
- veu
Noun
vocal f (plural vocals)
- vowel
Derived terms
- vocàlic
Further reading
- “vocal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “vocal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “vocal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “vocal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French
Etymology
From Old French vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis. Doublet of voyelle.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /vɔ.kal/
- Homophones: vocale, vocales
Adjective
vocal (feminine vocale, masculine plural vocaux, feminine plural vocales)
- vocal, related to the voice
Derived terms
- corde vocale
- langue vocale
- messagerie vocale
- reconnaissance vocale
- vocable
- vocalement
- vocalique
- vocalisation
- vocalise
- vocaliser
- vocalisme
- voice
- voix
- voyelle
Descendants
- → Turkish: vokal
Further reading
- “vocal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.
Adjective
vocal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular vocale)
- vocal (relating to a voice or voices)
Descendants
- French: vocal
- → Middle English: vocal
- English: vocal
Portuguese
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin vōcālis. Doublet of vogal.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /voˈkaw/ [voˈkaʊ̯]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /vuˈkal/ [vuˈkaɫ]
- Homophones: bocal (Porto), bucal (Porto)
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: vo‧cal
Adjective
vocal m or f (plural vocais)
- vocal (of or relating to the voice or speech)
- vocal (uttered or modulated by the voice)
Derived terms
- vocalmente
Noun
vocal m or f by sense (plural vocais)
- vocalist (singer in a band)
- Synonym: vocalista
Related terms
- vogal
- voz
Romanian
Etymology
From French vocal, from Latin vocalis.
Adjective
vocal m or n (feminine singular vocală, masculine plural vocali, feminine and neuter plural vocale)
- vocal
Declension
Declension of vocal
| singular | plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
| nominative/ accusative | indefinite | vocal | vocală | vocali | vocale | ||
| definite | vocalul | vocala | vocalii | vocalele | |||
| genitive/ dative | indefinite | vocal | vocale | vocali | vocale | ||
| definite | vocalului | vocalei | vocalilor | vocalelor | |||
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /boˈkal/ [boˈkal]
Audio (Colombia) (file) - Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: vo‧cal
Noun
vocal f (plural vocales)
- vowel
Noun
vocal m or f (plural vocales)
- voter, member with vote rights
Descendants
- → Cebuano: bokal
Adjective
vocal (plural vocales)
- by means of the voice
- related to the voice
- using the voice
Derived terms
- cuerdas vocales
- vocalmente
Related terms
- voz
Further reading
- “vocal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Anagrams
- clavo