/ven tril"euh kwiz'euhm/ , n.
the art or practice of speaking, with little or no lip movement, in such a manner that the voice does not appear to come from the speaker but from another source, as from a wooden dummy. Also called ventriloquy /ven tril"euh kwee/ .
[ 1790-1800; ventriloqu ( y ) ( ventriloquium, equiv. to LL ventriloqu ( us ) a ventriloquist ( ventri- VENTRI- + -loquus, deriv. of loqui to speak) + -ium -IUM) + -ISM ]