vocalise

[ voh-kuh-leez ]

/ ˌvoʊ kəˈliz /

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noun

a musical composition consisting of the singing of melody with vowel sounds or nonsense syllables rather than text, as for special effect in classical compositions, in polyphonic jazz singing by special groups, or in virtuoso vocal exercises.

any such singing exercise or vocalized melody.

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Compare doo-wop, melisma, scat singing, solfeggio.

Origin of vocalise

1870–75; <French vocalise, apparently noun derivative of vocaliser to vocalize, with -ise taken as a noun suffix (see -ise²)

Words nearby vocalise

vocal, vocal cords, vocal folds, vocal fry, vocalic, vocalise, vocalism, vocalist, vocality, vocalize, Vocal Memnon

Other definitions for vocalise (2 of 2)

vocalise²

[ voh-kuh-lahyz ]

/ ˈvoʊ kəˌlaɪz /

verb (used with or without object), vo·cal·ised, vo·cal·is·ing.

Chiefly British. vocalize.

How to use vocalise in a sentence

There are, I am aware, certain races who are unable to vocalise certain sounds and accordingly modify them.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
These are followed by a vocalise or two, and a couple of songs or arias, which fill out the thirty minutes.
The Psychology of Singing|David C. Taylor
Il vocalise rarement, mais en revanche, il fait des bruits nasaux divers.
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table|Oliver Wendell Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for vocalise

vocalise

/ (ˌvəʊkəˈliːz) /

noun

a musical passage sung upon one vowel as an exercise to develop flexibility and control of pitch and tone; solfeggio

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