I. ˈsau̇nd adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English gesund; akin to Old High German gisunt healthy
Date: 13th century
1.
a. : free from injury or disease : exhibiting normal health
b. : free from flaw, defect, or decay
sound timber
2. : solid , firm ; also : stable
3.
a. : free from error, fallacy, or misapprehension
sound reasoning
b. : exhibiting or based on thorough knowledge and experience
sound scholarship
c. : legally valid
a sound title
d. : logically valid and having true premises
e. : agreeing with accepted views : orthodox
4.
a. : thorough
b. : deep and undisturbed
a sound sleep
c. : hard , severe
a sound whipping
5. : showing good judgment or sense
sound advice
Synonyms: see healthy , valid
• sound·ly ˈsau̇n(d)-lē adverb
• sound·ness ˈsau̇n(d)-nəs noun
II. adverb
Date: 14th century
: to the full extent : thoroughly
sound asleep
III. noun
Etymology: Middle English soun, from Anglo-French son, sun, from Latin sonus, from sonare to sound; akin to Old English swinn melody, Sanskrit svanati it sounds
Date: 13th century
1.
a. : a particular auditory impression : tone
b. : the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing
c. : mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (as air) and is the objective cause of hearing
2.
a. : a speech sound
a peculiar r-sound
b. : value in terms of speech sounds
-cher of teacher and -ture of creature have the same sound
3. archaic : rumor , fame
4.
a. : meaningless noise
b. obsolete : meaning
c. : the impression conveyed : import
5. : hearing distance : earshot
within sound of your voice
6. : recorded auditory material
7. : a particular musical style characteristic of an individual, a group, or an area
the Nashville sound
IV. verb
Date: 13th century
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cause to sound
sound a trumpet
b. : pronounce 3a
2. : to put into words : voice
3.
a. : to make known : proclaim
b. : to order, signal, or indicate by a sound
sound the alarm
4. : to examine by causing to emit sounds
sound the lungs
5. chiefly British : to convey the impression of : sound like
that sound s a logical use of resources — Economist
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to make a sound
b. : resound
c. : to give a summons by sound
the bugle sound s to battle
2. : to make or convey an impression especially when heard
it sound s good to me
you sound just like your mother
• sound·able ˈsau̇n-də-bəl adjective
V. noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sund swimming, sea & Old Norse sund swimming, strait; akin to Old English swimman to swim
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : a long broad inlet of the ocean generally parallel to the coast
b. : a long passage of water connecting two larger bodies (as a sea with the ocean) or separating a mainland and an island
2. : the air bladder of a fish
VI. verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French sonder, from Old French * sonde sounding line, probably from Old English or Middle English sund- (as in Old English sundlīne sounding line) from sund sea
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1. : to measure the depth of : fathom
2. : to try to find out the views or intentions of : probe — often used with out
3. : to explore or examine (a body cavity) with a sound
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to ascertain the depth of water especially with a sounding line
b. : to look into or investigate the possibility
sent commissioners…to sound for peace — Thomas Jefferson
2. : to dive down suddenly — used of a fish or whale
VII. noun
Etymology: French sonde, from Middle French, literally, sounding line
Date: 1739
: an elongated instrument for exploring or sounding body cavities