vocal cords
plural noun Anatomy.
either of the two pairs of folds of mucous membrane projecting into the cavity of the larynx.
Content related to vocal cords
What’s Vocal Fry Really All About?As wonderful as it is that the mass media is paying attention to phonetics, much of what is said about vocal fry is not, strictly speaking, true. This particular quality of speech has been around since humans could produce language. It's not damaging to your vocal cords, and it's used by everyone—men and women alike.
Words nearby vocal cords
vocabulary, vocabulary entry, vocal, vocal cord, vocal cord nodules, vocal cords, vocal fold, vocal folds, vocal fremitus, vocal fry, vocal ligament
Compare true vocal cords, false vocal cords.
Origin of vocal cords
First recorded in 1850–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for vocal cords
vocal cords
pl n
either of two pairs of mucomembranous folds in the larynx. The upper pair (false vocal cords) are not concerned with vocal production; the lower pair (true vocal cords or vocal folds) can be made to vibrate and produce sound when air from the lungs is forced over themSee also glottis Related adjective: glottal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Science definitions for vocal cords
vocal cords
[ vō′kəl ]
The two folded pairs of membranes in the larynx (voice box) that vibrate when air that is exhaled passes through them, producing sound.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Culture definitions for vocal cords
vocal cords
Two folds of tissue located in the larynx that vibrate when air passes over them, producing the sound waves associated with talking and singing.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.