Voice

n. [O. Fr. vois, voiz, vuiz, N. Fr. voix, Pr. rotz, routz, Sp. & Pg. voz, It. voce, Lat. vox, vocis, allied to Gr. φωνή.]

1Sense 1. Sound or audible noise uttered by the mouth; spoken tone; utterance; hence, the tone or sound emitted by any thing; sometimes, intonated quality of utterance, as distinguished from mere breath sound. “After the fire, a still, small voice.” 1 Kings xix. 12.

Canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Job xl. 9.

The floods have lifted up their voice. Ps. xciii. 3.

My heart Leaps at the trumpet’s voice. Addison.

2Sense 2. Power of utterance; mode of speaking, singing, or otherwise producing sound; distinctive character or quality of tone; quality of vocal sound suitable for a given object; as, a pleasant voice; a voice for singing or elocution.

Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low: an excellent thing in woman. Shak.

Thy voice is music. Shak.

Join thy voice unto the angel choir. Milton.

3Sense 3. Language; words; expression; signification of feeling or opinion.

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice. Gal. iv. 20.

Let us call on God in the voice of his church. Fell.

4Sense 4. Opinion or choice expressed; a vote; a suffrage.

Sic. How now, my masters! have you chose this man? 1 Cit. He has our voices, sir. Shak.

Some laws ordain, and some attend the choice Of holy senates, and elect by voice. Dryden.

5Sense 5. Command; precept;—chiefly in scriptural language.

Ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. Deut. viii. 20.

6Sense 6. (Gram.) A particular mode of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which the relation of the subject of the verb to the action expressed by it is indicated.

Active voice (Gram.), that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as the agent or doer of the action expressed by it.—Middle voice, that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as both the agent, or doer, and the object of the action, that is, as performing some act to or upon himself.—Passive voice, that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as the object, or person affected by the action.

[imp. & p. p. VOICED (voist); p. pr. & vb. n. VOICING.]

1Sense 1. To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce; to divulge; to extol. [Obs.]

Rather assume thy right in silence . . . than voice it with claims and challenges. Bacon.

It was voiced that the king purposed to put to death Edward Plantagenet. Shak.

2Sense 2. To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of; as, to voice the pipes of an organ.

3Sense 3. To vote. [Obs.]

*And that your minds, pre-occupied with what You rather must do than what you should do, Made you, against the grain, to voice him consul.* Shak.