vocalize

[voh-kuh-lahyz]

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verb (used with object), vo·cal·ized, vo·cal·iz·ing.

to make vocal; utter; articulate; sing.

to endow with a voice; cause to utter.

Phonetics.

to voice.
to change into a vowel (contrasted with consonantalize).

(of Hebrew, Arabic, and other writing systems that do not usually indicate vowels) to furnish with vowels or vowel points.

verb (used without object), vo·cal·ized, vo·cal·iz·ing.

to use the voice, as in speech or song.

to sing without uttering words, especially to warm up the voice, practice vowel sounds, etc., before a performance.

to sing scales, arpeggios, trills, or the like, usually to a solmization syllable or a vowel sound.

Phonetics. to become changed into a vowel.

Also especially British, vo·cal·ise.

Origin of vocalize

First recorded in 1660–70; vocal + -ize

Related formsvo·cal·i·za·tion, nounvo·cal·iz·er, nounmis·vo·cal·i·za·tion, nounnon·vo·cal·i·za·tion, nounsub·vo·cal·ize, verb, sub·vo·cal·ized, sub·vo·cal·iz·ing.un·vo·cal·ized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for vocalize

vent, pronounce, say, croon, convey, utter, speak, moan, verbalize, shout, impart, groan, express, communicate, enunciate, warble, chirp, sing, sound, chant

Examples from the Web for vocalize

Contemporary Examples of vocalize

Marine biologists have found that that while dolphins may not snore, they do vocalize in their sleep.
Why Aristotle Deserves A Posthumous Nobel
Nick Romeo
October 18, 2014
According to her it can be difficult for female performers to vocalize what they feel comfortable doing on screen.
Porn's Behind-the-Camera Feminists
Emily Shire
February 26, 2014
Bisutti thinks the label is a good communication tool for Christians who are too shy to vocalize their beliefs.
Former Victoria’s Secret Model Kylie Bisutti Releases Christian Clothing Line, God Inspired Fashion
Misty White Sidell
August 7, 2013
But should mom get involved in an “animated conversation” with a stranger, the baby will “vocalize with intense anger.”
The Week in Rage
Adam Hanft
October 24, 2008

Historical Examples of vocalize

Vocalize always upon A, and be careful to put no B's before it.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine
Various
Amos Adams threw back his grizzled head in a laugh that failed to vocalize.
In the Heart of a Fool
William Allen White
Her voice cracked; her ear became demoralized; her attempts to vocalize grew almost as comical as Trilby's.
Trilby
George Du Maurier
We have all heard voices that were so beautiful that to hear one of them vocalize for half an hour would be a musical feast.
The Head Voice and Other Problems
D. A. Clippinger
Minnehaha is one of those fearless singers who vocalize without a safety-valve.
You Should Worry Says John Henry
George V. Hobart

British Dictionary definitions for vocalize

vocalize

vocalise

verb

to express with or use the voice; articulate (a speech, song, etc)

(tr) to make vocal or articulate

(tr) phonetics

to articulate (a speech sound) with voice
to change (a consonant) into a vowel

another word for vowelize

(intr) to sing a melody on a vowel, etc

Derived Formsvocalization or vocalisation, nounvocalizer or vocaliser, noun

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

Word Origin and History for vocalize

1660s, from vocal + -ize. Related: Vocalized; vocalizing.