sound

1 [sound]
noun
1.
the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium.
2.
mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1087 feet (331 meters) per second at sea level.
3.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause: the sound of music.
4.
any auditory effect; any audible vibrational disturbance: all kinds of sounds.
5.
a noise, vocal utterance, musical tone, or the like: the sounds from the next room.
6.
a distinctive, characteristic, or recognizable musical style, as from a particular performer, orchestra, or type of arrangement: the big-band sound.
7.
Phonetics.
a.
speech sound.
b.
the audible result of an utterance or portion of an utterance: the s-sound in “slight”; the sound of m in “mere.”
8.
the auditory effect of sound waves as transmitted or recorded by a particular system of sound reproduction: the sound of a stereophonic recording.
9.
the quality of an event, letter, etc., as it affects a person: This report has a bad sound.
10.
the distance within which the noise of something may be heard.
11.
mere noise, without meaning: all sound and fury.
12.
Archaic. a report or rumor; news; tidings.
verb (used without object)
13.
to make or emit a sound.
14.
to give forth a sound as a call or summons: The bugle sounded as the troops advanced.
15.
to be heard, as a sound.
16.
to convey a certain impression when heard or read: to sound strange.
17.
to give a specific sound: to sound loud.
18.
to give the appearance of being; seem: The report sounds true.
19.
Law. to have as its basis or foundation (usually followed by in ): His action sounds in contract.
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verb (used with object)
20.
to cause to make or emit a sound: to sound a bell.
21.
to give forth (a sound): The oboe sounded an A.
22.
to announce, order, or direct by or as by a sound: The bugle sounded retreat. His speech sounded a warning to aggressor nations.
23.
to utter audibly, pronounce, or express: to sound each letter.
24.
to examine by percussion or auscultation: to sound a patient's chest.
Verb phrases
25.
sound off, Informal.
a.
to call out one's name, as at military roll call.
b.
to speak freely or frankly, especially to complain in such a manner.
c.
to exaggerate; boast: Has he been sounding off about his golf game again?
Origin:
1250–1300; (noun) Middle English soun < Anglo-French (Old French son) < Latin sonus; (v.) Middle English sounen < Old French suner < Latin sonāre, derivative of sonus

Related forms
sound·a·ble, adjective
un·sound·a·ble, adjective

Synonym Study
1. Sound, noise, tone refer to something heard. Sound and noise are often used interchangeably for anything perceived by means of hearing. Sound, however, is more general in application, being used for anything within earshot: the sound of running water. Noise, caused by irregular vibrations, is more properly applied to a loud, discordant, or unpleasant sound: the noise of shouting. Tone is applied to a musical sound having a certain quality, resonance, and pitch.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

sound

2 [sound] adjective, sound·er, sound·est, adverb
adjective
1.
free from injury, damage, defect, disease, etc.; in good condition; healthy; robust: a sound heart; a sound mind.
2.
financially strong, secure, or reliable: a sound business; sound investments.
3.
competent, sensible, or valid: sound judgment.
4.
having no defect as to truth, justice, wisdom, or reason: sound advice.
5.
of substantial or enduring character: sound moral values.
6.
following in a systematic pattern without any apparent defect in logic: sound reasoning.
7.
uninterrupted and untroubled; deep: sound sleep.
8.
vigorous, thorough, or severe: a sound thrashing.
9.
free from moral defect or weakness; upright, honest, or good; honorable; loyal.
10.
having no legal defect: a sound title to property.
11.
theologically correct or orthodox, as doctrines or a theologian.
adverb
12.
deeply; thoroughly: sound asleep.
Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English sund, Old English gesund (see y-); cognate with Dutch gezond, German gesund

Related forms
sound·ly, adverb
sound·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. unharmed, whole, hale, unbroken, hardy. 2. solvent. 4, 6. valid, rational, logical.

sound

3 [sound]
verb (used with object)
1.
to measure or try the depth of (water, a deep hole, etc.) by letting down a lead or plummet at the end of a line, or by some equivalent means.
2.
to measure (depth) in such a manner, as at sea.
3.
to examine or test (the bottom, as of the sea or a deep hole) with a lead that brings up adhering bits of matter.
4.
to examine or investigate; seek to fathom or ascertain: to sound a person's views.
5.
to seek to elicit the views or sentiments of (a person) by indirect inquiries, suggestive allusions, etc. (often followed by out ): Why not sound him out about working for us?
6.
Surgery. to examine, as the urinary bladder, with a sound.
verb (used without object)
7.
to use the lead and line or some other device for measuring depth, as at sea.
8.
to go down or touch bottom, as a lead.
9.
to plunge downward or dive, as a whale.
10.
to make investigation; seek information, especially by indirect inquiries.
noun
11.
Surgery. a long, slender instrument for sounding or exploring body cavities or canals.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English sounden < Old French sonder to plumb, derivative of sonde sounding line < ?

Related forms
sound·a·ble, adjective

sound

4 [sound]
noun
1.
a relatively narrow passage of water between larger bodies of water or between the mainland and an island: Long Island Sound.
2.
an inlet, arm, or recessed portion of the sea: Puget Sound.
3.
the air bladder of a fish.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English sund act of swimming; akin to swim

Sound

[sound]
noun
a strait between SW Sweden and Zealand, connecting the Kattegat and the Baltic. 87 miles (140 km) long; 3–30 miles (5–48 km) wide.
Swedish and Danish Oresund.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
sound1 (saʊnd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a.  a periodic disturbance in the pressure or density of a fluid or in the elastic strain of a solid, produced by a vibrating object. It has a velocity in air at sea level at 0°C of 331 metres per second (741 miles per hour) and travels as longitudinal waves
 b.  (as modifier): a sound wave
2.  (modifier) of or relating to radio as distinguished from television: sound broadcasting; sound radio
3.  the sensation produced by such a periodic disturbance in the organs of hearing
4.  anything that can be heard
5.  a particular instance, quality, or type of sound: the sound of running water
6.  volume or quality of sound: a radio with poor sound
7.  the area or distance over which something can be heard: to be born within the sound of Big Ben
8.  the impression or implication of something: I don't like the sound of that
9.  phonetics the auditory effect produced by a specific articulation or set of related articulations
10.  slang (often plural) music, esp rock, jazz, or pop
 
—vb (usually foll by in)
11.  to cause (something, such as an instrument) to make a sound or (of an instrument, etc) to emit a sound
12.  to announce or be announced by a sound: to sound the alarm
13.  (intr) (of a sound) to be heard
14.  (intr) to resonate with a certain quality or intensity: to sound loud
15.  (copula) to give the impression of being as specified when read, heard, etc: to sound reasonable
16.  (tr) to pronounce distinctly or audibly: to sound one's consonants
17.  law to have the essential quality or nature (of): an action sounding in damages
 
[C13: from Old French soner to make a sound, from Latin sonāre, from sonus a sound]
 
'soundable1
 
—adj

sound2 (saʊnd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  free from damage, injury, decay, etc
2.  firm; solid; substantial: a sound basis
3.  financially safe or stable: a sound investment
4.  showing good judgment or reasoning; sensible; wise: sound advice
5.  valid, logical, or justifiable: a sound argument
6.  holding approved beliefs; ethically correct; upright; honest
7.  (of sleep) deep; peaceful; unbroken
8.  thorough; complete: a sound examination
9.  informal (Brit) excellent
10.  law (of a title, etc) free from defect; legally valid
11.  constituting a valid and justifiable application of correct principles; orthodox: sound theology
12.  logic
 a.  (of a deductive argument) valid
 b.  (of an inductive argument) according with whatever principles ensure the high probability of the truth of the conclusion given the truth of the premises
 c.  another word for consistent
 
—adv
13.  soundly; deeply: now archaic except when applied to sleep
 
[Old English sund; related to Old Saxon gisund, Old High German gisunt]
 
'soundly2
 
—adv
 
'soundness2
 
—n

sound3 (saʊnd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb
1.  to measure the depth of (a well, the sea, etc) by lowering a plumb line, by sonar, etc
2.  to seek to discover (someone's views, etc), as by questioning
3.  (intr) (of a whale, etc) to dive downwards swiftly and deeply
4.  med
 a.  to probe or explore (a bodily cavity or passage) by means of a sound
 b.  to examine (a patient) by means of percussion and auscultation
 
—n
5.  med an instrument for insertion into a bodily cavity or passage to dilate strictures, dislodge foreign material, etc
 
[C14: from Old French sonder, from sonde sounding line, probably of Germanic origin; related to Old English sundgyrd sounding pole, Old Norse sund strait, sound4; see swim]

sound4 (saʊnd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a relatively narrow channel between two larger areas of sea or between an island and the mainland
2.  an inlet or deep bay of the sea
3.  the air bladder of a fish
 
[Old English sund swimming, narrow sea; related to Middle Low German sunt strait; see sound³]

Sound (saʊnd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
the Sound Danish name: Øresund, Swedish name: Öresund a strait between SW Sweden and Zealand (Denmark), linking the Kattegat with the Baltic: busy shipping lane; spanned by a bridge in 2000. Length of the strait: 113 km (70 miles). Narrowest point: 5 km (3 miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sound
"noise," c.1280, soun, from O.Fr. son, from L. sonus "sound," from PIE *swonos, from base *swen- "to sound" (cf. Skt. svanati "it sounds," svanah "sound, tone;" L. sonare "to sound;" O.Ir. senim "the playing of an instrument;" O.E. geswin "music, song," swinsian "to sing;" O.N. svanr, O.E. swan "swan,"
prop. "the sounding bird"). The final -d was established c.1350-1550 as part of a tendency to add -d- after -n-. The verb is attested from c.1300, from L. sonare, from sonus. First record of sound barrier is from 1939. Soundtrack is from 1929; sound check is from 1977; sound effects is 1909, originally live accompaniments to silent films.
"The experts of Victor ... will ... arrange for the synchronized orchestration and sound effects for this picture, in which airplane battles will have an important part." ["Exhibitor's Herald & Moving Picture World," April 28, 1928]

sound
"uninjured," O.E. gesund "sound, safe, healthy," from P.Gmc. *sundas, from root '*swen-to- (cf. O.S. gisund, O.Fris. sund, Du. gezond, O.H.G. gisunt, Ger. gesund "healthy," source of the post-sneezing interjection gesundheit; also O.E. swið "strong," Goth.
swinþs "strong," Ger. geschwind "fast, quick"), with connections in Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic. Meaning "financially solid or safe" is attested from 1601; of sleep, "undisturbed," from 1548. Sense of "holding accepted opinions" is from 1526. Soundly "completely" is attested from 1577.

sound
"fathom, probe," 1336 (implied in sounding), from O.Fr. sonder, from sonde "sounding line," probably from a Gmc. source (cf. O.E. sund "water, sea;" see sound (n.2)).

sound
"narrow channel of water," c.1300, from O.N. sund "a strait, swimming," cognate with O.E. sund "power of swimming, water, sea," both from P.Gmc. *swumto-, from base *swem- (see swim (v.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

sound 1 (sound)
n.

  1. Vibrations transmitted through an elastic material or a solid, liquid, or gas, with frequencies in the range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing.

  2. Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.

  3. A distinctive noise.

v. sound·ed, sound·ing, sounds
To auscultate.

sound 2
adj.

  1. Free from defect, decay, or damage; in good condition.

  2. Free from disease or injury.

sound 3
n.
An instrument used to examine or explore body cavities, as for foreign bodies or other abnormalities, or to dilate strictures in them. v. sound·ed, sound·ing, sounds
To probe a body cavity with a sound.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
sound 1   (sound)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A type of longitudinal wave that originates as the vibration of a medium (such as a person's vocal cords or a guitar string) and travels through gases, liquids, and elastic solids as variations of pressure and density. The loudness of a sound perceived by the ear depends on the amplitude of the sound wave and is measured in decibels, while its pitch depends on its frequency, measured in hertz.

  2. The sensation produced in the organs of hearing by waves of this type. See Note at ultrasound.


sound 2   (sound)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A long, wide inlet of the ocean, often parallel to the coast. Long Island Sound, between Long Island and the coast of New England, is an example.

  2. A long body of water, wider than a strait, that connects larger bodies of water.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

sound definition


1. audio.
2. An inference system A is sound with respect to another system B if A can only reach conclusions which are true in B. A type inference system is considered sound with respect to a semantics if the type inferred for an expression is the same as the type inferred for the meaning of that expression under the semantics.
The dual to soundness is completeness.
(1995-03-01)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

sound

In addition to the idioms beginning with sound, also see safe and sound.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences from the web
When you start working on the sound, keep working until it feels correct.
With the sound, with the sound, with the sound of the ground.
The liberation of sound an introduction to electronic music.
The sound of the knife entering flesh was created by plunging a knife into a
  casaba.
Idioms & Phrases
sound
safe and sound
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