/ ˈvɒljuːm; NAmE ˈvɑːl-; -jəm/ noun
1.
[ U , C ] the amount of space that an object or a substance fills; the amount of space that a container has :
How do you measure the volume of a gas?
jars of different volumes
2.
[ U , C ] the amount of sth :
the sheer volume (= large amount) of business
This work has grown in volume recently.
New roads are being built to cope with the increased volume of traffic.
Sales volumes fell 0.2% in June.
3.
[ U ] the amount of sound that is produced by a television, radio, etc. :
to turn the volume up / down
4.
[ C ] ( abbr. vol. ) a book, that is part of a series of books :
an encyclopedia in 20 volumes
5.
[ C ] ( formal ) a book :
a library of over 50 000 volumes
a slim volume of poetry
6.
[ C ] ( abbr. vol. ) a series of different issues of the same magazine, especially all the issues for one year :
'New Scientist' volume 142, number 3
•
IDIOMS
see speak
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (originally denoting a roll of parchment containing written matter): from Old French volum(e) , from Latin volumen , volumin- a roll, from volvere to roll. An obsolete meaning size or extent (of a book) gave rise to senses 1 and 2.