Definitions for: Sound


[n] the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause; "the sound of rain on the roof"; "the beautiful sound of music"
[n] the subjective sensation of hearing something; "he strained to hear the faint sounds"
[n] the audible part of a transmitted signal; "they always raise the audio for commercials"
[n] (phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language
[n] the
[n] a large ocean inlet or deep bay; "the main body of the sound ran parallel to the coast"
[n] a narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water
[n] mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium; "falling trees make a sound in the forest even when no one is there to hear them"
[adv] deeply or completely; "slept soundly through the storm"; "is sound asleep"
[adj] thorough; "a sound thrashing"
[adj] (of sleep) deep and complete; "a heavy sleep"; "fell into a profound sleep"; "a sound sleeper"; "deep wakeless sleep"
[adj] in excellent physical condition; "good teeth"; "I still have one good leg"; "a sound mind in a sound body"
[adj] exercising or showing good judgment; "healthy scepticism"; "a healthy fear of rattlesnakes"; "the healthy attitude of French laws"; "healthy relations between labor and management"; "an intelligent solution"; "a sound approach to the problem";"sound advice"; "no reasonable explanation for his decision"
[adj] free from moral defect; "a man of sound character"
[adj] financially secure and safe; "sound investments"; "a sound economy"
[adj] in good condition; free from defect or damage or decay; "a sound timber"; "the wall is sound"; "a sound foundation"
[adj] having legal efficacy or force; "a sound title to the property"
[adj] reflects weight of sound argument or evidence; "a sound argument"
[v] measure depths with a sounding line, as of a body of water
[v] utter with vibrating vocal chords
[v] appear in a certain way; "This sounds interesting"
[v] give off a certain sound or sounds; "This record sounds scratchy"
[v] make a certain noise or sound; "She went `Mmmmm'"; "The gun went `bang'"
[v] cause to sound; "sound the bell"; "sound a certain note"
[v] announce by means of a sound; "sound the alarm"



Webster (1913) Definition: Sound, n. [AS. sund a swimming, akin to E. swim. See
Swim.]
The air bladder of a fish; as, cod sounds are an esteemed
article of food.


Sound, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A cuttlefish. [Obs.] --Ainsworth.


Sound, a. [Compar. Sounder; superl. Soundest.] [OE.
sound, AS. sund; akin to D. gezond, G. gesund, OHG. gisunt,
Dan. & Sw. sund, and perhaps to L. sanus. Cf. Sane.]
1. Whole; unbroken; unharmed; free from flaw, defect, or
decay; perfect of the kind; as, sound timber; sound fruit;
a sound tooth; a sound ship.

2. Healthy; not diseased; not being in a morbid state; --
said of body or mind; as, a sound body; a sound
constitution; a sound understanding.

3. Firm; strong; safe.

The brasswork here, how rich it is in beams, And
how, besides, it makes the whole house sound.
--Chapman.

4. Free from error; correct; right; honest; true; faithful;
orthodox; -- said of persons; as, a sound lawyer; a sound
thinker.

Do not I know you a favorer Of this new seat? Ye are
nor sound. --Shak.

5. Founded in truth or right; supported by justice; not to be
overthrown on refuted; not fallacious; as, sound argument
or reasoning; a sound objection; sound doctrine; sound
principles.

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast
heard of me. --2 Tim. i.
13.

6. heavy; laid on with force; as, a sound beating.

7. Undisturbed; deep; profound; as, sound sleep.

8. Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective; as, a sound
title to land.

Note: Sound is sometimes used in the formation of
self-explaining compounds; as, sound-headed,
sound-hearted, sound-timbered, etc.

Sound currency (Com.), a currency whose actual value is the
same as its nominal value; a currency which does not
deteriorate or depreciate or fluctuate in comparision with
the standard of values.


Sound, adv.
Soundly.

So sound he slept that naught might him awake.
--Spenser.


Sound, n. [AS. sund a narrow sea or strait; akin to
Icel., Sw., Dan. & G. sund, probably so named because it
could be swum across. See Swim.] (Geog.)
A narrow passage of water, or a strait between the mainland
and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or
connecting a sea or lake with the ocean; as, the Sound
between the Baltic and the german Ocean; Long Island Sound.

The Sound of Denmark, where ships pay toll. --Camden.

Sound dues, tolls formerly imposed by Denmark on vessels
passing through the Baltic Sound.


Sound, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sounded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Sounding.] [F. sonder; cf. AS. sundgyrd a sounding rod,
sundline a sounding line (see Sound a narrow passage of
water).]
1. To measure the depth of; to fathom; especially, to
ascertain the depth of by means of a line and plummet.

2. Fig.: To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts,
motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try;
to test; to probe.

I was in jest, And by that offer meant to sound your
breast. --Dryden.

I've sounded my Numidians man by man. --Addison.

3. (Med.) To explore, as the bladder or urethra, with a
sound; to examine with a sound; also, to examine by
auscultation or percussion; as, to sound a patient.


Sound, v. i.
To ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other
device.

I sound as a shipman soundeth in the sea with his
plummet to know the depth of sea. --Palsgrave.


Sound, n. [F. sonde. See Sound to fathom.] (Med.)
Any elongated instrument or probe, usually metallic, by which
cavities of the body are sounded or explored, especially the
bladder for stone, or the urethra for a stricture.


Sound, n. [OE. soun, OF. son, sun, F. son, fr. L. sonus
akin to Skr. svana sound, svan to sound, and perh. to E.
swan. Cf. Assonant, Consonant, Person, Sonata,
Sonnet, Sonorous, Swan.]
1. The peceived object occasioned by the impulse or vibration
of a material substance affecting the ear; a sensation or
perception of the mind received through the ear, and
produced by the impulse or vibration of the air or other
medium with which the ear is in contact; the effect of an
impression made on the organs of hearing by an impulse or
vibration of the air caused by a collision of bodies, or
by other means; noise; report; as, the sound of a drum;
the sound of the human voice; a horrid sound; a charming
sound; a sharp, high, or shrill sound.

The warlike sound Of trumpets loud and clarions.
--Milton.

2. The occasion of sound; the impulse or vibration which
would occasion sound to a percipient if present with
unimpaired; hence, the theory of vibrations in elastic
media such cause sound; as, a treatise on sound.

Note: In this sense, sounds are spoken of as audible and
inaudible.

3. Noise without signification; empty noise; noise and
nothing else.

Sense and not sound . . . must be the principle.
--Locke.

Sound boarding, boards for holding pugging, placed in
partitions of under floors in order to deaden sounds.

Sound bow, in a series of transverse sections of a bell,
that segment against which the clapper strikes, being the
part which is most efficacious in producing the sound. See
Illust. of Bell.

Sound post. (Mus.) See Sounding post, under Sounding.


Sound, v. i. [OE. sounen, sownen, OF. soner, suner, F.
sonner, from L. sonare. See Sound a noise.]
1. To make a noise; to utter a voice; to make an impulse of
the air that shall strike the organs of hearing with a
perceptible effect. ``And first taught speaking trumpets
how to sound.'' --Dryden.

How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues! --Shak.

2. To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to
convey intelligence by sound.

From you sounded out the word of the Lord. --1
Thess. i. 8.

3. To make or convey a certain impression, or to have a
certain import, when heard; hence, to seem; to appear; as,
this reproof sounds harsh; the story sounds like an
invention.

Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear Things
that do sound so fair? --Shak.

To sound in or into, to tend to; to partake of the nature
of; to be consonant with. [Obs., except in the phrase To
sound in damages, below.]

Soun[d]ing in moral virtue was his speech.
--Chaucer.

To sound in damages (Law), to have the essential quality of
damages. This is said of an action brought, not for the
recovery of a specific thing, as replevin, etc., but for
damages only, as trespass, and the like.


Sound, v. t.
1. To causse to make a noise; to play on; as, to sound a
trumpet or a horn.

A bagpipe well could he play and soun[d]. --Chaucer.

2. To cause to exit as a sound; as, to sound a note with the
voice, or on an instrument.

3. To order, direct, indicate, or proclain by a sound, or
sounds; to give a signal for by a certain sound; as, to
sound a retreat; to sound a parley.

The clock sounded the hour of noon. --G. H. Lewes.

4. To celebrate or honor by sounds; to cause to be reported;
to publish or proclaim; as, to sound the praises of fame
of a great man or a great exploit.

5. To examine the condition of (anything) by causing the same
to emit sounds and noting their character; as, to sound a
piece of timber; to sound a vase; to sound the lungs of a
patient.

6. To signify; to import; to denote. [Obs.] --Milton.

Soun[d]ing alway the increase of his winning.
--Chaucer.

Synonyms: audio, auditory sensation, complete, deep, dependable, fathom, go, good, healthy, heavy, intelligent, legal, levelheaded, phone, profound, reasonable, reasoned, righteous, safe, secure, sensible, solid, soundly, speech sound, stable, strait, strong, substantial, valid, vocalise, vocalize, voice, wakeless, well-grounded

Antonyms: devoice, quiet, silence, unsound

See Also: announce, appear, articulate, auditory communication, babble, bang, beat, beat, beep, beep, bell, Bering Strait, birr, birr, blare, bleep, bleep, blow, body of water, bombilate, bombilation, bombinate, bombination, boom, boom out, Bosporus, bubble, burble, buzz, buzz, cackel, cause to be perceived, channel, chatter, chime, chink, chink, chirk, chirp, chirrup, chorus, chug, clang, clangor, clangour, clank, claxon, click, click, click-clack, clink, clink, clop, clump, clump, clunk, clunk, consonant, crack, crump, crunch, cry, Dardanelles, denote, din, dissonance, dissonate, drone, drum, drum, drum roll, drumbeat, East River, echo, enounce, enunciate, euphony, fit, footfall, footstep, gargle, glide, glug, Golden Gate, gong, grumble, guggle, gurgle, gurgle, happening, Hellespont, honk, hum, jangle, jingle, knell, knock, knock, knocking, Korea Strait, Korean Strait, language unit, lap, linguistic unit, Long Island Sound, look, make noise, measure, mechanical phenomenon, Menai Strait, murmur, murmuration, murmuring, music, mussitation, mutter, muttering, narrow, natural event, noise, noise, noise, noisiness, occurrence, orinasal, orinasal phone, paradiddle, Pas-de-Calais, pat, patter, patter, peal, peal, pealing, phoneme, pierce, ping, ping, pink, pitter-patter, play, plunk, plunk, pop, pop, popping, prepare, pronounce, Puget Sound, pure tone, purr, purr, quack, quantify, quaver, quaver, racket, racketiness, rap, rap, rattle, resonate, resound, reverberate, ring, ring, ring, ringing, ripple, roll, roll, rolling, rub-a-dub, rumble, rustle, say, scrunch, seem, semivowel, sensation, sense datum, sense experience, sense impression, sigh, sing, skirl, skirl, slosh, slush, snap, snarl, Solent, sonant, song, sound, sound off, sound out, sound property, speak, splash, splat, splosh, squelch, step, Strait of Calais, Strait of Dover, Strait of Georgia, Strait of Gibraltar, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Magellan, Strait of Messina, Strait of Ormuz, strike up, strum, strum, susurration, susurrus, swish, swish, swosh, tap, tap, tapping, telecasting, television, the Solent, throbbing, thrum, thrum, thud, thud, thump, thump, thumping, thunk, tick, tick, ticking, ticktack, ticktock, ting, ting, tink, tinkle, tinkle, tintinnabulation, tone, toot, toot, tootle, trample, trampling, trump, TV, twang, twang, tweet, twirp, twitter, ultrasound, unbroken, undamaged, uninjured, unison, utterance, vibrate, vibrato, video, vocalization, voice, voice, voiced sound, vowel, vowel sound, water, waver, whir, whir, whirr, whirr, whirring, whish, whistle, whistle, whistling, whiz, whiz, whizz, wholesome, zing, zizz

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