n.
Pronunciation: ven- ' tri-l ə - ˌ kwi-z ə m
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin ventriloquus ventriloquist, from Latin ventr-, venter + loqui to speak; from the belief that the voice is produced from the ventriloquist's stomach
Date: circa 1797
1 : the production of the voice in such a way that the sound seems to come from a source other than the vocal organs of the speaker
2 : the expression of one's views and attitudes through another especially : such expression by a writer through a fictional character or literary persona
– ven · tri · lo · qui · al \ ˌ ven-tr ə - ' l ō -kw ē - ə l \ adjective
– ven · tri · lo · qui · al · ly \ - ə -l ē \ adverb