vocal cords

plural noun

: either of two pairs of folds of mucous membranes that project into the cavity of the larynx and have free edges extending dorsoventrally toward the middle line

Examples of vocal cords in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Their croaking involves pushing air over vocal cords into a thin membrane known as a vocal sac that inflates under the chin. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 Instead of using lips like humans do, horses create a whistle inside their larynx or voice box, At the same time, the vocal cords are producing the deeper sound. Kate Perez, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026 But this study suggests that horses are unique in their ability to whistle and vibrate their vocal cords at the same time, the authors write. Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2026 By gelding a choirboy, the Church would suspend his gossamer vocal cords so that a child’s song could live on in a man’s throat, backed, crucially, by a man’s powerful lungs. Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vocal cords

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vocal cords was in 1757

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Cite this Entry

“Vocal cords.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vocal%20cords. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

vocal cords

plural noun
: either of two pairs of elastic folds of tissue in the larynx of which the lower pair produce the voice when air exhaled from the lungs causes them to vibrate

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