voluble

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments (2)  · 
It's like sailing with Columbus They wandered about--voluble, amazed, and happy, for they were getting off at Port Said I explored, too.

View all »
Definitions (10)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. adjective Marked by a ready flow of speech; fluent.
  2. adjective Turning easily on an axis; rotating.
  3. adjective Botany Twining or twisting: a voluble vine.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (4)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

Toggle elsewhere links Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

  • He was soft-spoken and voluble, his voice rising slightly only when the conversation ventured, in asides, into the present political climate, a state of affairs that clearly exasperates him. —  GreenCine Daily
  • In the midst of their hasty meal the Frenchman arrived, voluble, apologetic. —  The Albert Gate Mystery Being Further Adventures of Reginald Brett, Barrister Detective
  • They were sprightly and voluble, and chatted on without intermission. —  The History of Tasmania , Volume II
  • No, by his faith, he said, he could not think how such an outrage could have taken place Morris was disposed to be more voluble, and the Colonel more ready to examine him, while the master was prompt and eager in his replies, sighing as if with relief as the Colonel at length stopped short and sat patting the carpet with his right toe. —  Glyn Severn's Schooldays
  • We cannot be too thankful that he was not killed Which I never doubted for one moment that he was, ma'am, when I found him," continued Nurse; "he was lying all crumpled up and stone-cold, for all the world like Miss Nancy's dormouse when she forgot to feed it for a week On this theme Nurse was apt to become very voluble, and there were few things she liked better than describing her own feelings on the occasion. —  The Hawthorns A Story about Children
 

Tags

Sign up or sign in to add tags.

Stats

This word has been looked up 172 times.

On Twitter

Photos from

flickr images

Add a related word »
Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

fluent ·  talkative ·  glib ·  lively ·  garrulous ·  affable ·  communicative ·  loquacious ·  persuasive ·  vivacious ·  witty ·  incoherent
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, moving easily, from Old French, from Latin volūbilis, revolving, fluent, from volvere, to roll; see wel-2 in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from French voluble = Spanish voluble = Portuguese voluvel = Italian volubile, from Latin volubilis, that turns around, whirling, fluent (of speech), from volvere, past participle volutus, turn round or about: see volve.
 

Pronunciations
Record your own »

/ˈvɑljubl/
by American Heritage

Charts

frequency chart

Bubble size: how much this word was used in a year

Bubble height: used more or less than expected, vs. all uses evenly distributed

You can expect to see this word about twice a year.

Recently looked up

defector · xor · sharpener · half-mad · formative

Recent Favorites

pygopagus · sanglant · Astacus · sweetbread · qualms

Recent Pronunciations

eu oi oìa u ou e u oìa · the octopi are dry · Kansas City · spell it rite · put it in your pocket