# sound

Pronunciation: say "SOWND" /saʊnd/

## Noun

1. Vibrations that travel through air, water or another medium and can be heard; also, what is heard, such as a particular noise.
   - Simple: Anything you can hear, carried to your ears by vibrations in the air, water or another material.
   - _Sound travels at about 343 meters per second through air at room temperature._
   - _Engineers measured how the sound passed through the steel beam._
4. The distinctive style and tonal character of a particular musician, band, or orchestra.
   - Simple: The special way a singer, band, or instrument sounds.
   - _Motown built its reputation on a polished, soulful sound._
   - _Critics praised the orchestra's warm, rounded sound._
6. A single segment of spoken language; the smallest unit of speech, such as an individual vowel or consonant.
   - Simple: One of the small noises we make to form spoken words.
   - _English has more vowel sounds than its five written vowels suggest._
   - _Changing a single sound turns bat into pat, a completely different word._
8. A long, narrow sea inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island, or one connecting two larger bodies of water.
   - Simple: A long, narrow stretch of sea that reaches into the land, runs between land and an island, or joins two seas.
   - _A narrow sound separated the two islands from the coast._
   - _Fishing boats sheltered in the sound during the storm._
21. Noise that carries no meaning; mere empty noise.
   - Simple: Noise that has no meaning behind it.
   - _After years of broken promises, his apologies had become mere sound to her, words she no longer believed._
   - _Behind the politician's grand phrases there was only sound._
22. The range or distance within which a particular noise can be heard; earshot.
   - Simple: The distance over which a noise can still be heard.
   - _They built the cabin within sound of the crashing waves._
   - _Once the ship passed beyond sound of the harbor bell, the crew felt truly at sea._

## Verb

2. To come across in a particular way, judging from what one has heard or read about something, as in sounds like a good idea.
   - Simple: To seem a certain way from what you hear or read about something, as in "That sounds like fun."
   - _Judging by the reviews, the hotel sounds perfect for a quiet weekend._
   - _I know the plan may sound risky, but we've tested every step._
3. To seem a particular way to someone who is actually hearing it, judging by the voice or the noise itself, as in you sound tired.
   - Simple: To seem a certain way from the sound of someone's voice or of something you hear.
   - _You sound exhausted. Maybe you should rest before driving._
   - _His voice sounded strained when he answered the phone this morning._
7. To make a noise or ring out, or to make something such as an instrument, bell or alarm give out a noise.
   - Simple: To make a noise, or to make something like a bell, horn or alarm make a noise.
   - _The trumpets sound at the very start of the ceremony._
   - _A bell sounded somewhere in the distance, then fell silent._
15. To try to discover the thoughts, motives, or intentions of a person by careful examination, questioning, or testing.
   - Simple: To carefully find out what someone really thinks or feels by asking or testing them.
   - _The diplomat sought to sound the foreign minister on his country's true intentions._
   - _Before announcing the new schedule, the principal sounded out a few senior teachers to see how the staff might react._
16. To pronounce or articulate a particular vowel or consonant aloud.
   - Simple: To say a letter out loud as part of a word.
   - _English speakers do not sound the k at the start of knife._
   - _Some speakers sound the t in 'often,' while many others leave it silent._
19. To measure or test the depth of water, especially with a weighted line or other sounding device.
   - Simple: To find out how deep the water is by measuring it.
   - _The navigator sounded the bay to find a safe channel for the ship._
   - _Before the age of sonar, crews would sound the seabed by hand._
20. Of a whale or other large sea creature, to dive steeply and rapidly downward into deep water.
   - Simple: Of a whale, to dive straight down into deep water.
   - _The sperm whale sounded, disappearing far beneath the small boat._
   - _Whales can sound for nearly an hour before surfacing to breathe._
24. To be carried or spread as sound; to become widely known or published; to convey information by means of sound.
   - Simple: To travel or spread as sound, or to be made known widely.
   - _In the old cathedral, even a whisper can sound from one end of the nave to the other._
   - _The roar of the waterfall sounded through the forest long before we could see it._

## Adjective

5. Solid, secure, and in good condition, with no weakness or flaw.
   - Simple: Strong, solid, and not likely to break or fail.
   - _The inspector confirmed that the building's structure was sound._
   - _The company remains financially sound despite the downturn._
10. Based on good judgment and solid reasoning, and therefore likely to produce good outcomes.
   - Simple: Sensible and based on good reasons, so it is likely to work out well.
   - _Buying the building before prices rose turned out to be a sound investment._
   - _Most of the economists we spoke to considered the new budget policy sound._
11. In good health; free from injury, illness, or bodily defect.
   - Simple: In good health and not sick or hurt.
   - _The vet pronounced the horse sound and fit to race._
   - _He remained sound in body well into his nineties._
13. Of sleep or a sleeper, deep, untroubled, and not easily disturbed.
   - Simple: Deep and peaceful, used about sleep.
   - _After the long journey she enjoyed a sound, dreamless sleep._
   - _He remained a sound sleeper even in the noisy dormitory._
9. Of a person or thing, good, decent, reliable, or thoroughly satisfactory. *(slang, British, Ireland)*
   - Simple: Good, fine, or pleasant.
   - _The gig last night was absolutely sound from start to finish._
   - _Don't worry about Dave. He's a sound lad and won't let you down._
14. Founded in law; legally valid and free from defect.
   - Simple: Based on the law and having no mistakes, so it counts as valid.
   - _The court found the will to be sound and enforceable._
   - _Her title to the property was sound, with no competing claims._
17. Of an argument, logically valid and having only true premises; of a formal system, proving only statements valid under its semantics.
   - Simple: Correct and trustworthy because it is built on true facts and good reasoning.
   - _Logicians call an argument sound only when it is valid and all of its premises are true._
   - _The proof turned out to be both valid and sound, since every premise held._
18. Of a blow, beating, or defeat: thorough and delivered with considerable force.
   - Simple: Strong and complete, used about a hit, beating, or defeat.
   - _The champion handed his challenger a sound thrashing inside three rounds._
   - _Their army inflicted a sound defeat on the invaders at the river._

## Adverb

12. Thoroughly and without disturbance, mainly in sound asleep, describing how someone is sleeping rather than the sleep itself.
   - Simple: In a deep and complete way, used most often about sleeping.
   - _Exhausted from the long drive, the children were sound asleep within minutes._
   - _He slept sound through the entire thunderstorm and woke completely refreshed._

## Interjection

23. Used informally to express agreement, acceptance, or understanding, much like "okay" or "sounds good." *(slang, British, Ireland)*
   - Simple: Used to say yes or to show that you agree or understand.
   - _"I'll text you the address in a minute." "Sound, cheers."_
   - _"We're meeting at the pub first." "Sound, I'll head over now."_

## Other meanings

- (verb) Of a claim or cause of action, to arise from or be recognizable as belonging to a particular area of law, or to be likely to yield a particular kind of legal remedy.
- (verb) To examine a part of the body using a probe, or by listening (auscultation) or tapping (percussion).
- (noun) The air bladder of a fish, the gas-filled sac that lies inside its body.
- (noun) A long, slender medical probe used to explore or to dilate body cavities and canals, such as the urethra.

## Origin

**Meanings 5, 9–14, 17–18, 23** — From Middle English 'sound', from Old English 'sund' meaning "safe, whole, uninjured, healthy," ultimately from Proto-Germanic *sundaz ("healthy"). It is related to German 'gesund' and Dutch 'gezond', both meaning "healthy."
**Meanings 1–4, 6–7, 16, 21–22, 24** — The noun comes from Middle English 'sownde', an alteration of 'soun', borrowed via Anglo-Norman and Old French 'son' from Latin 'sonus', ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swenh₂- ("to sound, resound"). The verb comes from Latin 'sonō' by the same route. The extra '-d' was a hypercorrect addition in the fifteenth century, and the word displaced native Middle English 'swei'.
**Meaning 8** — From Middle English 'sound', from Old English and Old Norse 'sund' meaning "channel, strait, sea, or the act of swimming," from Proto-Germanic *sundą, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swem- ("swimming; sea"). It is cognate with Danish and Swedish 'sund' ("strait, channel") and related to 'swim'.
**Meanings 15, 19–20** — The source is Old French sonder, which gave Middle English sounden. The French verb was based on sonde ("sounding line"), a Germanic word that can be compared with Old English sund ("water, sea") and sundgyrd ("a sounding rod").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sound (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).