Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An exercise, composition, or arrangement in which a performer sings solmization syllables or other meaningless vocal sounds rather than a text.
- v. Chiefly British Variant of vocalize.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An exercise or study for singers, usually without words. Compare solfeggio.
Wiktionary
- v. British alternative spelling of vocalize.
- n. a vocal exercise sung in one or more vowels without actually forming any words
WordNet 3.0
- v. utter with vibrating vocal chords
- v. pronounce as a vowel
- v. utter speech sounds
- v. sing (each note a scale or in a melody) with the same vowel
- v. express or state clearly
Etymologies
- From French (Wiktionary)
- French, from vocaliser, to vocalize, from vocal, vocal, from Old French; see vocal. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“But that piece in particular struck me as a kind of vocalise," Siegel says.”
“Palestinians in the diaspora risk losing "their entitlement to equal representation ... their ability to vocalise their views, to participate in matters of national governance, including the formation and political identity of the state, and to exercise the right of return.”
The Guardian: Palestinian state could leave millions of refugees with no voice at UN
“Whilst packing up their laptop chargers and wiping guacamole from their chins last Saturday afternoon, Arsenal fans managed to vocalise their full-time thoughts succinctly.”
“It's a small pity that the fa-la-la vocalise of the whole company isn't musically better, but it serves its purpose of getting the characters on and off stage in this raucously enjoyable evening.”
The Wall Street Journal: 'Laughing Comedy' Continues to Conquer
“That, perhaps, was the most insidious element of Cheneyism, with its push to vocalise bloodlust and irrational vengefulness and make it part of everyday political discourse. wiley Says:”
“And our vigil was rewarded when we heard the pod begin to vocalise, communicating with each other in a series of far-carrying chirrups and clicks.”
“The Zorn, a wordless vocalise, packs considerable rhythmic variety into 10 minutes; it is sung with brio by Anu Komsi, who ends with a shriek.”
The Wall Street Journal: Slipping Over the Edge at City Opera
“Which leaves me wondering why the majority remains silent; why so few cis women feminists are prepared to vocalise their solidarity with trans women by calling out those cis women who persist in exercising their privilege.”
“It will be left to the next government - in all likelihood, a Cameron government - to vocalise these home truths.”
“If I vocalise at any time during the day, nine times out of ten it's "eh?" or "huh?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘vocalise’.
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Public List: Lift Every Voice
Vocal techniques.
word shaping, backphrasing, vibrato, scat, coloratura, rubato, falsetto, death growl, overtone singing, harmonic singing, yodeling, ululation and 17 more...
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Words that were new to me
but now they're not because I looked them up. In cases of polysemy or homography, *of course* it was the oddest meaning that stumped me. ;)
Procrustean bed, idem sonans, hob, backcap, quango, cheap-jack, pantechnicon, churrigueresco, chopfallen, maritorious, supererogation, catimini and 212 more...
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Musical words
nocturne, flat, sharp, waltz, etude, opera, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, cello, flute and 131 more...
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Beautiful Music
a cappella, accelerando, accompagnato, adagio, ad libitum, agitato, aleatory, alla breve, allegro, allemande, alto, andante and 548 more...
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Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do!
Musical words
aria, scherzo, lilting, tango, crescendo, diminuendo, jazz, dulcet, cadence, serenade, poliphony, largo and 26 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for vocalise.
Comments
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