sounds

Noun

sound (countable and uncountable, plural sounds)

1. A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.
   • He turned when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Nobody made a sound.
2. A vibration capable of causing such sensations.
   • In trumpets for assisting the hearing, all reverbation of the trumpet must be avoided. It must be made thick, of the least elastic materials, and covered with cloth externally. For all reverbation lasts for a short time, and produces new sounds which mix with those which are coming in.1820, Encyclopaedia Britannica; Or A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature, 6th edition, volume 20, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Company, page 501
3. A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra etc.
   • He looks like he's got it, maybe. Listen to those kids!/There's no maybe about it. That's it, that's the sound.1954, Valentine Davies et al., The Glenn Miller Story
4. Noise without meaning; empty noise.
   • For let us conſider this Prepoſition as to its meaning, (for it is the ſence, and not ſound, that is and muſt be the Principle or common Notion) […]1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Of Power”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book I, § 18, page 23
5. Earshot, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.
   • Stay within the sound of my voice.
6. A segment as a part of spoken language, the smallest unit of spoken language, a speech sound.

See all 31 meanings of sound