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Having the clear, musical tone of silver; soft and clear in sound; as, silvery voices; a silvery laugh. Silvery iron (Metal.), a peculiar light-gray fine-grained cast iron, usually obtained from clay iron ore.

To utter sounds with musical inflections or melodious modulations of voice, as fancy may dictate, or according to the notes of a song or tune, or of a given part (as alto, tenor, etc.) in a chorus or concerted piece. The noise of them that sing do I hear. Ex. xxxii. 18.

An instrument for producing musical tones and for ascertaining the number of sound waves or vibrations per second which produce a note of a given pitch. The sounds are produced by a perforated rotating disk or disks. A form with two disks operated by steam or highly compressed air is used sounding an alarm to vessels i…

The gamut, or musical scale. See Tonic sol-fa, under Tonic, n.

That which is sung or uttered with musical modulations of the voice, whether of a human being or of a bird, insect, etc. "That most ethereal of all sounds, the song of crickets." Hawthorne.

for exhibiting the transverse vibrations of cords, and ascertaining the relations between musical notes. It consists of a cord stretched by weight along a box, and divided into different lengths at pleasure by a bridge, the place of which is determined by a scale on the face of the box.

figures (Physics), figures formed by the vibrations of a substance capable of emitting a musical tone, as when the bow of a violin is drawn along the edge of a piece of glass or metal on which sand is strewed, and the sand arranges itself in figures according to the musical tone. Called also acoustic figures. -- Sono…

A thin board which propagates the sound in a piano, in a violin, and in some other musical instruments.

The five horizontal and parallel lines on and between which musical notes are written or pointed; the staff. [Obs.] Stave jointer, a machine for dressing the edges of staves.

To regulate the sounds of, as musical strings, by pressing them against the finger board with the finger, or by shortening in any way the vibrating part.

stretch; as, to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a ship; to strain the cords of a musical instrument. "To strain his fetters with a stricter care." Dryden.

to make a shrill or musical sound, such as is made by the males of many insects.

The act of making shrill sounds or musical notes by rubbing together certain hard parts, as is done by the males of many insects, especially by Orthoptera, such as crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts.

The cord of a musical instrument, as of a piano, harp, or violin; specifically (pl.), the stringed instruments of an orchestra, in distinction from the wind instruments; as, the strings took up the theme. "An instrument of ten strings." Ps. xxx. iii. 2. Me softer airs befit, and softer strings Of lute, or viol still. M…

A rude musical instrument somewhat like a cittern. [R.] Dampier.

One of the old musical forms, before the time of the more compact sonata, consisting of a string or series of pieces all in the same key, mostly in various dance rhythms, with sometimes an elaborate prelude. Some composers of the present day affect the suite form.

Having a sweet, musical voice, as the nightingale. Cf. Breast, n., 6. [Obs.]

inous, and dignified eloquence. Macaulay. A poet, too, was there, whose verse Was tender, musical, and terse. Longfellow.

A kind of musical instrument. a species of lyre; -- so called in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the shell of a tortoise.

specially, those produced by amateurs. Such fashionable cant terms as `theatricals,' and `musicals,' invented by the flippant Topham, still survive among his confraternity of frivolity. I. Disraeli.