vocal
English Edit
Etymology Edit
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 Edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈvəʊ.kəl/
Audio (RP) (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈvoʊ.kəl/
- Rhymes: -əʊkəl
Adjective Edit
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.
- (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.
- 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 Edit
Translations Edit
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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.
Noun Edit
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.
- (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 Edit
Related terms Edit
See also Edit
References Edit
- “vocal”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “vocal”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
Asturian Edit
Etymology Edit
Noun Edit
vocal f (plural vocales)
Related terms Edit
Catalan Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
- (Balearic, Valencian) IPA(key): /voˈkal/
- (Central) IPA(key): /buˈkal/
Audio (file) - Homophones: bocal, bucal (Central)
- Rhymes: -al
Adjective Edit
vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocals)
Derived terms Edit
Related terms Edit
Noun Edit
vocal f (plural vocals)
Derived terms Edit
Further reading Edit
- “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 Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
Inherited from Old French vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis. Doublet of voyelle.
Pronunciation Edit
- IPA(key): /vɔ.kal/
- Homophones: vocale, vocales
Adjective Edit
vocal (feminine vocale, masculine plural vocaux, feminine plural vocales)
Derived terms Edit
Descendants Edit
- → Turkish: vokal
Further reading Edit
- “vocal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Etymology 2 Edit
Ellipsis of message vocal. Compare Italian vocale.
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
vocal m (plural vocaux)
- (slang) voice message
- T’inquiètes, je t’envoies un vocal pour t’expliquer.
- Don't worry, I'm gonna send you a voice message to explain it to you.
Further reading Edit
- "vocal", Dictionnaire des francophones [1]
Old French Edit
Etymology Edit
Adjective Edit
vocal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular vocale)
- vocal (relating to a voice or voices)
Descendants Edit
Portuguese Edit
Etymology Edit
Learned borrowing from Latin vōcālis. Doublet of vogal.
Pronunciation Edit
- Homophones: bocal (Porto), bucal (Porto)
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: vo‧cal
Adjective Edit
vocal m or f (plural vocais)
Derived terms Edit
Noun Edit
vocal m or f by sense (plural vocais)
Related terms Edit
Romanian Edit
Etymology Edit
Borrowed from French vocal, from Latin vocalis.
Adjective Edit
vocal m or n (feminine singular vocală, masculine plural vocali, feminine and neuter plural vocale)
Declension Edit
Spanish Edit
Etymology Edit
Pronunciation Edit
Noun Edit
vocal f (plural vocales)
Noun Edit
vocal m or f by sense (plural vocales)
Descendants Edit
- → Cebuano: bokal
Adjective Edit
vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocales)
- by means of the voice
- related to the voice
- using the voice
Derived terms Edit
Related terms Edit
Further reading Edit
- “vocal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014