n.
Pronunciation: ' vau ̇ (- ə )l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French vowele, from Latin vocalis ― more at VOCALIC
Date: 14th century
1 : one of a class of speech sounds in the articulation of which the oral part of the breath channel is not blocked and is not constricted enough to cause audible friction broadly : the one most prominent sound in a syllable
2 : a letter or other symbol representing a vowel ― usually used in English of a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y