sound

¹sound

adjective \ˈsau̇nd\

Definition of SOUND

1

a : free from injury or disease

b : free from flaw, defect, or decay

2

: solid, firm; also : stable

3

a : free from error, fallacy, or misapprehension <sound reasoning>

b : exhibiting or based on thorough knowledge and experience <sound scholarship>

c : legally valid <a sound title>

d : logically valid and having true premises

e : agreeing with accepted views : orthodox

4

a : thorough

b : deep and undisturbed <a sound sleep>

c : hard, severe <a sound whipping>

5

: showing good judgment or sense <sound advice>

— sound·ly \ˈsau̇n(d)-lē\ adverb

— sound·ness \ˈsau̇n(d)-nəs\ noun

Examples of SOUND

1. a building of sound construction
2. The bridge is structurally sound.
3. a sound mind in a sound body
4. The tests show that his heart is sound.
5. She used sound reasoning in making the decision.
6. She gave us some sound advice.
7. She has a sound understanding of the system's structure.
8. The stock market has made a sound recovery.

Origin of SOUND

Middle English, from Old English gesund; akin to Old High German gisunt healthy

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to SOUND

Synonyms

analytic (or analytical), coherent, consequent, good, rational, reasonable, sensible, logical, valid, well-founded, well-grounded

Antonyms

illegitimate, illogical, incoherent, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational, unreasonable, unsound, weak

Related Words

a posteriori, a priori, syllogistic; cognitive, empirical (also empiric); defendable, defensible, justifiable, maintainable, supportable, sustainable, tenable

Near Antonyms

casuistic (or casuistical), eristic (also eristical), fallacious, misleading, sophistic (or sophistical), specious; unarticulated; unscientific; absurd, cockeyed, crazy, daffy, fatuous, half-baked, half-witted, harebrained, insane, loony (also looney), mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, simpleminded, stupid, weak-minded, witless; senseless, thoughtless; uncompelling, unconvincing

See Synonym Discussion at healthy, valid

Rhymes with SOUND

bound, crowned, found, ground, hound, mound, pound, round, stound, swound, wound

²sound

adverb

Definition of SOUND

: to the full extent : thoroughly <sound asleep>

First Known Use of SOUND

14th century

³sound

noun

Definition of SOUND

1

a : a particular auditory impression : tone

b : the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing

c : mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (as air) and is the objective cause of hearing

2

a : a speech sound <a peculiar r-sound>

b : value in terms of speech sounds <-cher of teacher and -ture of creature have the same sound>

3

archaic : rumor, fame

4

a : meaningless noise

b obsolete : meaning

c : the impression conveyed : import

5

: hearing distance : earshot <within sound of your voice>

6

: recorded auditory material

7

: a particular musical style characteristic of an individual, a group, or an area <the Nashville sound>

Origin of SOUND

Middle English soun, from Anglo-French son, sun, from Latin sonus, from sonare to sound; akin to Old English swinn melody, Sanskrit svanati it sounds

First Known Use: 13th century

⁴sound

verb

Definition of SOUND

transitive verb

1

a : to cause to sound <sound a trumpet>

b : pronounce 3a

2

: to put into words : voice

3

a : to make known : proclaim

b : to order, signal, or indicate by a sound <sound the alarm>

4

: to examine by causing to emit sounds <sound the lungs>

5

chiefly British : to convey the impression of : sound like <that sounds a logical use of resources — Economist>

intransitive verb

1

a : to make a sound

b : resound

c : to give a summons by sound <the bugle sounds to battle>

2

: to make or convey an impression especially when heard <it sounds good to me> <you sound just like your mother>

— sound·able \ˈsau̇n-də-bəl\ adjective

First Known Use of SOUND

13th century

⁵sound

noun

Definition of SOUND

1

a : a long broad inlet of the ocean generally parallel to the coast

b : a long passage of water connecting two larger bodies (as a sea with the ocean) or separating a mainland and an island

2

: the air bladder of a fish

Origin of SOUND

Middle English, from Old English sund swimming, sea & Old Norse sund swimming, strait; akin to Old English swimman to swim

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral

⁶sound

verb

Definition of SOUND

transitive verb

1

: to measure the depth of : fathom

2

: to try to find out the views or intentions of : probe —often used with out

3

: to explore or examine (a body cavity) with a sound

intransitive verb

1

a : to ascertain the depth of water especially with a sounding line

b : to look into or investigate the possibility <sent commissioners…to sound for peace — Thomas Jefferson>

2

: to dive down suddenly —used of a fish or whale

Origin of SOUND

Middle English, from Middle French sonder, from Old French *sonde sounding line, probably from Old English or Middle English sund- (as in Old English sundlīne sounding line) from sund sea

First Known Use: 15th century

⁷sound

noun

Definition of SOUND

: an elongated instrument for exploring or sounding body cavities

Origin of SOUND

French sonde, from Middle French, literally, sounding line

First Known Use: 1739

sound

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Mechanical disturbance that propagates as a longitudinal wave through a solid, liquid, or gas. A sound wave is generated by a vibrating object. The vibrations cause alternating compressions (regions of crowding) and rarefactions (regions of scarcity) in the particles of the medium. The particles move back and forth in the direction of propagation of the wave. The speed of sound through a medium depends on the medium's elasticity, density, and temperature. In dry air at 32 °F (0 °C), the speed of sound is 1,086 feet (331 metres) per second. The frequency of a sound wave, perceived as pitch, is the number of compressions (or rarefactions) that pass a fixed point per unit time. The frequencies audible to the human ear range from approximately 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz. Intensity is the average flow of energy per unit time through a given area of the medium and is related to loudness. See also acoustics; ear; hearing; ultrasonics.