I. ˈvau̇(ə)l noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French vouel, voieue, from Latin vocalis, from feminine of vocalis sounding, sonorous — more at vocal
1. : one of a class of speech sounds (as of the o of English hot, the i of English give, the u of English put, or the ü of German fünf “five”) 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 — compare consonant
2. : a letter or other symbol representing a vowel
a Hebrew manuscript without vowels
— usually used in English of a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y
II. transitive verb
( voweled or vowelled ; voweled or vowelled ; voweling or vowelling ; vowels )
1. : to furnish with vowel signs, points, or letters
distinguish the pointed or voweled from the unpointed text of the Old Testament — J.F.McCurdy
2. : to pay with an IOU