vocalise

¹ American  

[voh-kuh-leez] / ˌvoʊ kəˈliz /

noun

1. 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.

2. any such singing exercise or vocalized melody.

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vocalise ² American  

[voh-kuh-lahyz] / ˈvoʊ kəˌlaɪz /

verb (used with or without object)

vocalised, vocalising

1. Chiefly British. vocalize.

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vocalise British  

/ ˌvəʊkəˈliːz /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of vocalise

1870–75; < French vocalise, apparently noun derivative of vocaliser to vocalize, with -ise taken as a noun suffix ( -ise ² )

Example Sentences

Against Forest, the visiting fans continued to vocalise their views of the biggest sporting sanction meted out in Premier League history.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2023

Three female voices — Holly Sedillos, Catherine Brookman and Eliza Bagg, often employing woodwind-like vocalise — could have been pulled from a Minimalist ensemble.

From New York Times • May 22, 2023

The Kalevala text is whispered, not sung; the rest of the soprano part is almost entirely vocalise: wordless singing.

From New York Times • Oct. 10, 2019

With Babypod, babies learn to vocalise from the womb,” reads the blurb on the company’s website.

From The Guardian • Jan. 5, 2016

These are followed by a vocalise or two, and a couple of songs or arias, which fill out the thirty minutes.

From The Psychology of Singing A Rational Method of Voice Culture Based on a Scientific Analysis of All Systems, Ancient and Modern by Taylor, David C. (David Clark)