vocal cords

American  

plural noun

Anatomy.

1. either of the two pairs of folds of mucous membrane projecting into the cavity of the larynx.

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vocal cords British  

plural noun

1. 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 them See also glottis

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vocal cords Scientific  

/ vō′kəl /

1. The two folded pairs of membranes in the larynx (voice box) that vibrate when air that is exhaled passes through them, producing sound.

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vocal cords Cultural  

1. Two folds of tissue located in the larynx that vibrate when air passes over them, producing the sound waves associated with talking and singing.

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Etymology

Origin of vocal cords

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vocal cords

Both the deal and the band ended when Taylor developed nodes on his vocal cords, which required him to stay silent for three months.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

While my vocal cords spasm apart, his spasm together; while my voice gets soft and whispery, his voice is tight and gravelly.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

Her dad said afterward that acid reflux had made her vocal cords swell, necessitating the last-minute switch from live to Memorex.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2026

Speaking in a strained whisper, the effect of a rare illness of the vocal cords, Page suggested that Hassabis’s company-building endeavors might be similarly pointless.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

I shut my teeth together, vocal cords cut, they hurt so.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston