VOICE OVER

transitive verb (Lifestyle and Leisure) To provide (a television programme, commercial, etc.) with a commentary spoken by an unseen narrator (often a famous actor or other person whose voice is well known); to dub over (a soundtrack) with another, more famous voice. Etymology: A phrasal verb formed from the noun voice-over, which has been used in the entertainment world since the forties for film or television narration which is not accompanied by a picture of the speaker. History and Usage: The television voice-over, especially by a famous actor, is a well-known feature of advertising in the eighties. Although perhaps used as a technical term in the entertainment industry for almost as long as the noun, the verb voice over only started to enter popular writing at the beginning of the eighties. The corresponding adjective may be voiced-over or voice-overed. Every single report or interview that she did for that programme was subsequently 'voiced-over' by a man. Listener 21 Aug. 1980, p. 229 The jet-setting Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds (voiced over by ex-wife/business partner Sylvia Anderson). The Times 6 Oct. 1983, p. 12 The first three parts of my report are...taped, edited, voice-overed, commentary written, everything. George V. Higgins Penance for Jerry Kennedy (1985), p. 230