vocalise 1
/voh'keuh leez"/ , n.
1. a musical composition consisting of the singing of melody with vowel sounds or nonsense syllables rather than text, as for special effect in classical compositions, in polyphonic jazz singing by special groups, or in virtuoso vocal exercises.
2. any such singing exercise or vocalized melody. Cf. doo-wop, melisma, scat singing, solfeggio .
[ 1870-75; vocalise, appar. n. deriv. of vocaliser to VOCALIZE, with -ise taken as a n. suffix (see -ISE 2 ) ]
vocalise 2
/voh"keuh luyz'/ , v.t., v.i., vocalised, ising .
Chiefly Brit. vocalize.