See Also: Sound(medicine)
sound(3)(dictionary)
sound(4)(dictionary)
sound(5)(dictionary)
sound(6)(dictionary)
sound(7)(dictionary)
sound(9)(dictionary)
sound(encyclopedia)
Sound, the(encyclopedia)
second sound(medicine)

sound(7) (iou)



sound verb1. ME.
[Anglo-Norman suner, Old French soner (mod. sonner) from Latin sonare, from sonus: see SOUND noun2.]
I. verb intrans.
Of a thing: make or emit a sound; resound (to, with something); be filled with sound. ME.
T. Hardy A bell began clanging, and he listened till a hundred..strokes had sounded. A. E. Housman The street sounds to the soldiers' tread. A. Schlee A gun sounded from the bank.
b. spec. Of a trumpet or other instrument: give a call or summons to arms, battle, etc; make a signal. ME.
a. Utter vocal sounds; speak, cry, sing. ME-L16.
b. Of a person: make a sound or signal by blowing or playing an instrument. ME.
Have a suggestion of, a tendency towards, or a connection with a specified thing. Foll. by against, in(to), to, etc. ME-M17.
Strike the ears, be heard as a particular type of sound; be emitted or mentioned. Freq. foll. by adjective compl., adverb. LME.
G. Greene The feminine question sounded oddly in Miss Warren's..masculine voice. J. Steinbeck The music..sounded in his head with a steely tone. G. Vidal Footsteps sounded..loud on the pavement.
Convey a certain impression by sound; seem to the ear to be. Foll. by noun or adjective compl., inf., adverb (now chiefly well, ill, or indefinite in how). LME.
P. Campbell She sounded..a little guarded on the telephone. M. Gee He had his own plane, which sounded fun. M. Seymour Life at Brede sounds to have come..out of a novel.
II. verb trans.
a. Utter, state; pronounce, esp. loudly or deliberately; repeat. Also foll. by forth, out. ME.
J. K. Jerome But I thought..you did not sound the 'e' at the end of h-a-v-e.
b. Reproduce or express in words. Long rare. LME.
Cause (an instrument etc.) to make a sound; blow, strike (an instrument etc.); play (a note or notes). LME.
G. Greene The driver..sounded his horn. M. Leitch An ice-cream van sounded its chimes. fig.: Observer Reluctance to sound the trumpet for his own measures.
Declare, announce, proclaim; celebrate. LME.
Ld Macaulay The Tories still continued..to sound the praise of a national militia.
Of words: signify, mean; imply. LME-L17.
a. Give a signal or order for (something) by the sound of a trumpet or other instrument; fig. give intimation of. M16.
G. Greene The sirens were sounding the All Clear. P. Dally He sounded a warning in August.
b. Blow (a blast). poet. E19.
Taunt. Cf. sound on below. US slang. rare. M20.
With adverbs & prepositions in specialized senses, & phrases: sound a note of caution, sound a note of warning: see NOTE noun2. sound in damages, sound in tort, sound in contract, etc. Law be concerned only with damages; give rise to a claim for damages. sound off (a) US Military (of a band) strike up, start playing; (b) colloq. (orig. US) speak loudly, express one's opinions forcefully; complain; brag. sound on Black slang taunt, criticize.