n. 1 a speech-sound made with vibration of the vocal cords but without audible friction, more open than a consonant and capable of forming a syllable. 2 a letter or letters representing this, as a, e, i, o, u, aw, ah. vowel gradation = ABLAUT. vowel mutation = UMLAUT 2. vowel-point each of a set of marks indicating vowels in Hebrew etc. vowelled adj. (also in comb.). vowelless adj. vowelly adj.
[ ME f. OF vouel, voiel f. L vocalis (littera) VOCAL (letter) ]