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VOICE. 282 VOICE.
As soae as he hadd« made be croyce, pe br^e flegh fur^
and left hys vo>'s. 138a Wyclif Gen. xxvii. 22 The vois
forsothe is the vois of Jacob, but the hondis ben the hondis
of Elsau. 1399 Langl. Rich. RtdeUswu 56 pan cometh and
crieth her owen kynde dame. And \>zy [the young partridges!
ffolwith (>e vois at ^>e ifrist note, c 1400 Apot. Loll.
31 Crie, cese not, vphauns )>i vois os a trompe. cx^no
Henry IValUxce 11. 218 Compleyne your woice unto the
God abuflfe. 1513 Douglas ^neid i. vL 173 Quhy grantts
tbou nocht we may joine band in band, And for to heir
and rendir vocis Irew! 1577 Googe tr. Heresbach''s Husb.
149 Though the Swyne wil roame at the knowen voyce of
iheyr sw)-neheard. 1609 Douland Omitk. Microl. 5 The
sound of a sensible creature is properly called a Voyce, for
things without sence haue no Voyce. 1647 Cowley Mistr.,
Despair i, Beneath this gloomy shade, Hy Nature only for
my sorraws made I'll spend this voyce in crys. 1697
Drydbn Ki>y. Past, X. Ill Now let us rise, for Hoarseness
oft invades The Singer's Voice, who sings beneath the
Shades. 1796 Swift Gulliver 11. viii, I admired as muchat
the voices of him and his men who seemed to me only to
whisper. 1791 Cowpkr Odyss. xn. 214 When with rapid
course we had arriv'd Within such distance as a voice may
reach. x8ao Keats Isabella vi, He inwardly did pray For
power to speak ; but still the ruddy tide Stifled his voice.
1831 James Phil. Augustus I. iii. He felt sure that he had
stammered like a schoolboy, and spoken below his voice,
like a young squire to an old knight. 1853 M. Arnold
Forsaken Merman 12 Call her once before you go.—Call
once yet ! In a voice that she will know. 1897 Allbutt's
Syst, Med. III. £72 The extremities become cool,, .the voice
sunk to a whisper, and the countenance Hippocratic.
C. With adjs. denoting the quality or tone (sometimes
j/^^. in respect of musical quality or power).
138a Wyclif 1 Kin^s xviii. 28 Thanne thei crieden with
a greet voys. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P. R. xix. cxxxi.
(1405) nn iv b/i The voyce that is dysposid to songe and
melody hath thyse proprytees as Isyder sayth. Voyces he
sayth ben smalle, subtyll, thicke, clere, sharpe & shylle.
c i^oo Destr. 7'r(7>'i204oVlixes..declarethom pe cause with
his clere voyc. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly o/Gods 430 And on
a rewde maner he salutyd all the rout, With a bold voysc,
carpyng wordys stout. 1500-10 Dunbar Poems xlvi. 105
Than sang thay both with vocis lowd and cleir. 1560 Bible
(Gencv.) Ezek. xxxiii. 32 A iesting song of one that hathea
pleasant voice. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres 105 To talke
modestly, stilly, anci with low voices. 1600 Shaks. A. Y. L.
II. vii. 161 His bigge manly voice, Turning againe toward
childish trebble. Ibid. v. iii. 14 The onely prologues to a
bad voice. 1613 Cockeram ii, A Voyce as strong as if it
were the noise of 100 men, stentorian voice, x^^t Scotch
Prayer Bk., Mom, Prayer^ Then shall the Presbyter or
Minister begin the Lords prayer with a loud voyce. 1746
Francis tr, Horace^ EP'st. i. viii. 20 And then.. with a
fentle Voice Instil this Precept at his list'ning Ear. 1763-71
[. Walpoli Vertue's Anecd. Paint. {1786) III. 39 Besides
painting [he] had a talent for music and a good voice. 1819
Stephens Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI. i. 127 White-bellied
Goura.. : it has a very disagreeable and mournful voice,
which is repeatedly uttered. Z846 Mrs. A. Marsh Father
Darcy II. 1. 32 ' Come here, both of you ', says the lady, in
a deep, awful voice. 1863 Kingsley IVater-Bab, iti. 102 He
. .began chatting away in bis squeaking voice.
transf. 163s A. Stafford Fern. Glory (1869) 3 Whose due
Praise the Catholike Church doth at this day solemnely
sing, but with a more elevated Voyce.
d. In or after liiblical phraseology, esp. the
voice of God, Chiefly in fig. use and freq. = * the
expressed will or desire of God, etc. ; the divine
command, ordinance, or word\
a i3«s Prose Ps. cv. 24 [cvi. 25] And hij. .gruched in her
tabernacles, and hij ne herd nou^t \>e voice of our Lord.
1390 GowER Con/. III. 174 And there I herde and understod
The vois of god with wordes cliere. c 1400 Rule
St. Benet Prol. 70 ( = Hebr, iii. 7, 8] If >at 50 here hys
ose t>is day. Turn noght ^oure hertes fro hyra oway
— Bott t^Il hys voce ^e tak gude hede. 15^3 WinJet
IVks. (S.r.S.) II. 7 That ony sentence in the haly Wreit
is the voce and mynd of Christe. 1667 Milton P. L.
IX. 653 God so commanded, and left that Command Sole
Daughter of his voice. 1691 Hartcliffr Virtues 371 The
Voice of Nature is the Voice of God. 1730 Thomson Hymn
II And oft thy voice in dreadful thunder speaks. 1781
W. Hawkins Ode St. Cecilia^s Day i. Chorus 63 Music,
essence holy, high,.. Daughter of the voice of God. z86o
Pusey Min. Propk. 474'Ihey did violence to the majesty of
the law, which was the very voice of God. 1870 J, H.
Newman Gram. Assent 11. x, 398 As prayer is the voice of
man to God, so Revelation is the voice of God to man.
e. Used in reference to the expression of opinion
or protest, or the issuing of a command,
1667 Milton P. L. l 337 Vet to their Generals Voyce they
soon obeyd Innumerable. 17*0 Humourist 23 All the
Time the Business of Scandal was handling, there was not
one dissenting Voice to be heard in the whole Assembly.
1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 329 A convention, .ratified the
constitution without a dissenting voice. iSaj Scott Highl.
Widow v, Here I will abide my fate ; nor is there in Scotland
a voice of power enough to bid me stir from hence, and
be obeyed. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ix. II. 435 When
the voice of a single powerful member of the Batavian fcderation
tnight have averted an event fatal to all the politics
of Lewis, no such voice was raised. 1871 Freeman Norm.
Conq. (1876) VI. xviii. 140 The voice.. from Exeter was a
voice raised on behalf of the House of Godwine.
f. To lose the voice^ to be (temporarily) deprived
of the power of using the voice for singing or
speaking.
174^ Lavinctom Enthus. Meth.
o voys Songen J?ey ^e Letanie. 1375 Barbour Bruce xn. 200
Vith ane voce all can thai cry — ' Gud king ' [etc.]. a 1400-50
Alexander 1000 panansward him with a voice all his proud
princes. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. ii. 26 Al wyth one voys
gaf to hym laude and honour, a 1500 Lancelot 3473
With o woys thay cry al^ * sir knycht ' (etc. ]. 1568 Grafton
ChroH. II. 258 They with one minde and voyce gave a
determinate aunswere. 1606 Shaks. Tr. ff Cr. i. iii. 221 Alt
the Greekish heads, which with one voyce Call Agamemnon
Head and Generall. 1669 Dryden Tyrannic Love\. i,
We, with one voice, salute you emperor. 177a yunius
Lett. Ixviii. (1788) 357 With one voice they all condemn you.
1820 Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. 651 The nations .. cried
aloud. As with one voice, Truth, liberty, and love I 1843
M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 23 All the members demanded
with one voice who it was who was charged with the crime.
ib) i^y> Abst. Protocols Toivn Clerks Glasgow (1894) I.
i8_We the saidis devyderis..all in ane voce devyidis the
said land and tenement as eftir followis. 1569 Re^. Privy
Council Scot. II. 21 Sic boittis as the Lieutenentis in ane
voce sail find gude to bald on the waiter. 1604 in Chron.
Perth, etc. (Maitl. Club) 69 The Session all in one voice
finds the said Mr. William s proceedings orderly done.
f b. At a voice, in accord or agreement, unanimous.
Obs~^
1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) I. 144 Bes boJ»e at a voice,
in one 3ourwillcbe mynde,To help t>e Cristenmen. . Ageyn
Jw oste paen.
fc. In my voice, in my name. Obs. rare.
^ 1600 Shaks, A. Y. L. 11, iv. 87 But what is, come see, And
in mj^voice most welcome shall you be. 1603 — Meas./or
M. I. ii. 18^ Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
To the strict deputy.
8. a. The sound ^prayer, etc.
a 1325 Prose Ps. cxxxix. 7 [cxl. 6] Here, Lord, \>e voice of
my prayere. 1388 Wyclif Ps> vi. 9 (8) The lord hath herd
the vois ofmy wepyng. 1390 Cower Con/.\. 15 The vois of
his preiynge, Which herd was to the goddes hihe. 1551
Bible Lev. v. i When a soule hath synned and herde y*
voyce of cursing. i6n Bible Ps.xxxi, 22 Thou heardest
the voice of my supplications when I cryed vntothee. 1784
CowpER Task V. 887 'Tis thevoiceof song—A loud hosanna
sent from all thy works. 1791 — Iliad xviii. 617 And
sweet was heard The voice around of Hymenaeal song.
18x7 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. v. ix. 714 From that very
moment, complaint was extinguished; and the voice of
praise.. occupied the vacant air.
b. transf A sound or sounds produced or
emitted by something inanimate, as {a) a stream,
thunder, the wind, etc., or {b) musical instruments.
(a) a 1325 Prose Ps. xcii. 4 [xciii. 3] pe flodes an-he^ed her
voice. Ibid. 5 [4] Fram Jjc voices of mani waters. Ibid.
ciii, 8[civ. 7J Hij shul douten of J>e voice of \>y J^onder. 138a
Wyclif Ps. xcii[i]. 3 The flodis rereden vp ther vois. Flodis
rereden vp ther flowingis ; fro the voises of manye watris.
XS39 Bible (Great) Ps. ixwn. 18 The voyce of thy thonder
was hearde rounde aboute. z6ii Bible Isaiah Ixvi. 6 A
voice of noyse from the city, a voice from the Temple. 1697
Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 443 With a roaring sound The rising
Rivers float the nether Ground ; And Rocks the bellowing
Voice of boiling Seas rebound. 1784 Cowper Task i.
191 Upon the roar Of distant floods, or on the softer voice
Of neighb'ring fountain. i8ox Scott Glenfinlas Ix, The
voice of thunder shook the wood. 1807 Wordsw. Sonn.,
Thought 0/ a Briton, Two Voices are there ; one is of the
sea, One of the mountains ; each a mighty Voice. 1853
Kane Grinnetl Exp. xxvi. (1856) 211 The voices of the
ice.. are at this moment dinning in my ear.
(-5) »535 CovERDALE 2 Chron. v. 13 whan the voyce arose
from ye trompettes, cymbales and other instrumentes of
musicic. 1551 Bible Exod. xix. i6 The voyce of y" borne
waxed cxceadynge lowde. x6o6 Shaks. Tr. ^ Cr. i. iiu
257 Trumpet blow loud, Send thy Brasse voyce through
all these lazie Tents. 1607 Topsell Four-/. Beasts 313
They must bee such as wil reioyce and gather stomacke at
the voice of musicke, or trumpets. 1713 Addison Cato 111.
iii, OMarcus, I am warm'd; my heart Leaps atthe trumpet's
voice, and burns for glory. i8so Shelley Hymn Merc.
Ixxvii, The liquid voice Of pipes, that fills the clear air
thrillingly. 1825 Longf. Sunrise on Hills ii. 26 The wild
horn, whose voice the woodland fills, Was ringing to the
merry shout. 1841 Whittier Merrimac 66 Clearly on the
calm air swells The twilight voice of distant bells.
c. In figurative use.
In the second group with reference to conscience or duty.
(a) 138a Wyclif Gen. iv. 10 The vois of the blood of thi
brother crieth to me fro the erthe. 1533 Gau Richt Vay
104 Ve voce of his biwid cryis..to ye hewine. 173a Pope
Hor, Sat. 11. ii. 99 Unworthy he, the voice of Fame to hear.
1750 Gray Elegy 43 Can Honour's voice provoke the silent
dust? Ibid. 91 E'en from the tomb the voice of Nature
cries. 1802 Mar. Eogeworth Moral T. (1816) I. xix. 162
He dreaded that the voice of truth should be heard. 1839
Yeowell Ane. Brit. Ch. ix. (1847) 9° Where the voice of
tradition has been strong, unvarying, and continued. 1843
Carlyle Past 4- Pr. 111. ii, Came it never,.. like the voice
of old Eternities, far-sounding through thy heart of hearts?
{b) 1784 CowpER Task v. 685 The still small voice is wanted.
1796 Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 389, I advised, that you
.•should obey the voice of what we considered an indispensable
duty. 1810 tr. Mme. Cottin's Chevalier de Versenai
II. no That interior voice, that inflexible judge which
speaks within us. 2870 J. H. Newman Gram. Assent i. v.
104 We are accustomed to speak of conscience as a voice.
187s JowETT Plato {fid. 2) I. 419 The voice of conscience,
too, was heard, reminding the good man that he was not
altogether innocent.
d. A call or cry. rare^.
1657 S. PuRCHAS Pol. Flying.Ins. i. v. 12 With two or three
loud voyces Ceaseth all their disports, . . untill the next
morning when by a like voyce they have liberty given them
to play.
t 9. A word or number of words uttered or expressed
in speech ; a phrase, sentence, or speech ;
a discourse or report. Obs.
13.. Cursor Mundi -^Zot {G6ii.)y And oyle he putt apon
Jjat ston, And made to godd a voice [Cotton voo ( = vow)]
anon. ^1440 Alph. Tales 17 It had bene mor expedient
vntoJ>ebisdayfortohafeetyn flessh in bicell,^>an for tohafe
made bis voyce of t>ine abstinence emange so many of j)i
brethir. 15^^ Q. Eliz. Plutarch 130 [The] busy man. .go he
wyl to Jugis seates, to markets and to portz ; Vsing this
vois, 'have you no newes to-day?' 1608 Yorksh. Trag.
I. ii,_ In thy change, This voice into all places will be
hurl'd: Thou and the deuill has deceaved the world. 1781
H. Blair in Sc. Paraphr. xliv. iii, 'lis finish'd, was his
latest voice.
t b. An articulate sound ; a vocable, term, or
word. Obs,
1526 Pilgr. Per/, (W. de W. 1531) 201 Some coude not
saye so moche, but onely expresse suche voyces, that be
not in vse to signyfye ony thynge. 15^ TJoall Erasm.
Apoph. 164 b, The Greke voice kAiU signifiethbotheakeye
..and also the canell bone. 1586 Ferne Blaz. Gentrie ^
A gentleman or a nobleman ..(for I do wittingly confound
these voices). 1614 Raleigh Hist. IVorld i. viii. § g
Cethim is a voice plurall .. and signifieth percussores.
1654 Jkr. Taylor Real Pres. 129 For as Aquinas said, in
all sciences words signifie things, but it is proper to Theologie,
that things themselves signified or expressed by voices
should also signifie something beyond it. 1697 tr. Burgersdicius'
Logic 1. xxiv. 98 Of Voices. .That we call Articulate
which consists of so many Syllables, or Letters, .So that it
may be written, as, Man, Animal, &c.
10. An exj^ression of opinion, choice, or preference
uttered or given f>y a person ; a single
vote, esp. one given in the election of a person to
some office or position or on a matter coming for
decision before a deliberative assembly, f Dumb
voice (see quot. c 1618).
Very common from c 1540 to c 1770.
1380 in Horstm. AltengL Leg.wZZi) 150/1 Paschasius gaf
his voice in by To him he wist was les wurthy. 1390 Gower
Con/. I. 103 Thus grante I yow myn hole vois. Ches for ous
bothen, I you preie. 144^ Rolls 0/ParIt. V. 105/1 Officers
have ben chosen at the said Staple, by the voyces of Marchauntz,
havyng goodes. 1489 Ibid. VI. 432/1 If in the
said Eleccions.. the Voises be divided and equall for sundry
parties, then the Voise of theMaire..tostandandbereputed
for two Voices in the same Election. 1523 Ld. Berners
Froiss. I. cccxlvi. 547 Than the cardynals all of one acorde
assembled togyder, and their voyces rested on sir Robert
of Genesue. 154^ Thomas Hist. Italic 79 This maner of
geuyng theyr voices by ballotte is one of the laudablest
thynges vsed amongest theim. 1581 Pettie tr. Guazzo's
Civ. Conv. u. (1586) loB b. The new Academikes that were
before chosen by priuie voyces. 1606 in Birch Crt. ff Times
jfas. I (1848) I. 62 Upon long debate in the House, and put
to the question,. .Oxford won it by many voices, c x6i8
MoRVSON Itin, (1903) iiS Agayne 24 are by lott selected,
who being shutt up in a chamber, may not depart till by
dumb voyces, that is by divers little balls, they have chosen
eight Protectours. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 846 In the
year 1626 was a greater Canvas than this, there being then
1078 voices given on all Sides. 17*7 Pope, etc. Art 0/
Sinking 123 If it should happen, that three and three should
be of each side, the president shall have a casting voice.
J776 J, Adams Wks. (1854) IX. 376 A motion is made, and
carried by a majority of one voice. 1802-is Bentham
Ration, judic. Evid. (1827) V. 470 note^ The number of
persons, .having a voice, as the phrase is, meaning a vote,
in any assembly invested with the form ofa body corporate.
1855 J. S. Watson tr. Xenophon's Anab. i. x. § 9 note^ But
on the whole, the other interpretation seems to have most
voices in favour of it. 1898 Times 12 Feb. 9/1 The speaker
said he had already collected the voices, and it was now too
late for the hon. member to intervene.
fig, 1781 Cowpek Conversat. 663 Though common sense,
allowed^ a casting voice. And free from bias, must approve
the choice.
t b. To put to voices, to put to the vote. Obs^
iSfiS in Eng. Hist. ^(fr;. Jan. (1914) 1 11 Th' act.. being put
to voices.. past as an acte with consent of the hole bowse.
1603 Knolles Hist. Turkes (1621) 859 After this. .matter
had been thus.. debated on both sides in the Senat, it was
at last put to voices, a 1604 Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633)
123 When Herveie had made an end of his .speech, they put
it to voyces, and the voyces went on Herveis side.
t c. Support or approval in a suit or petition.
Obs. rare.
1598 Shaks. Merry IV. i. iv. 167 There's money for thee ;
Let mee haue thy voice in my behalfe. 1599 — A/ids. N. i. i.
54 In this kind, wanting your fathers voyce The other must
be held the worthier. i6xx — Cymb. in. v. 115 Thou
should'st neither want my meanes for thy releefe, nor my
voyce for thy preferment.
d, A right or power to take part in the control
or management of something. Chiefly in the phr.
to have a voice in, Cf. 2 b.
183s Malden Orig. f/«;f^r«ViVfi6g The appointments 10
the remaining five ^professorships] are ofa mixed nature,
but the town-council has a voice in all. 1865 J. S. Mill in
Even. Star 10 July, It was a matter of the utmost importance
that they should have a voice in the thing that was to
be decided. 1888 Echo 21 April (Cassell's), Tiie one thing
which the labourer wants is a voice in the management of
the workhouse.
II. AIus. The vocal capacity of one person in
respect of its employment for musical purposes,
esp. in combination with others; a person considered
as the possessor of a voice so employed ;
a singer. Chiefly in pi.
1607 in Nichols Progr. Jas. I (1828) II. 107 Sixe cornets
and sixe chappell-voyces were seated almost right against
them. 1664 Pepys Diary 2 Aug., IHe] hath sent for
voices and painters and other persons from Italy. 01700
Evelyn Diary 16 Nov. 1650, A concert of French music
and voices. 1731 in Penny Cycl. (1840) XVI. 468/1 An oratorio
in English.. composed b>; Mr. Handel, ..to be performed
by a great number of voices and instruments. 1840
Ibid, ^67/2 Dialogues in verse.. which he caused to be