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An instrument for studying the motions of sounding bodies by optical means. It consists of a tube across the end of which is stretched a film of soap solution thin enough to give colored bands, the form and position of which are affected by sonorous vibrations.

Representing sounds; as, phonetic characters; -- opposed to ideographic; as, a phonetic notation. Phonetic spelling, spelling in phonetic characters, each representing one sound only; -- contrasted with Romanic spelling, or that by the use of the Roman alphabet.

The doctrine or science of sounds; especially those of the human voice; phonology.

The science which treats of vocal sounds. J. Peile.

The act, art, or process of representing sounds by phonetic signs.

Of or pertaining to sound; of the nature of sound; acoustic. Tyndall.

A combining form from Gr. sound, tone; as, phonograph, phonology.

Reflecting sound. [R.] "Phonocamptic objects." Derham.

A letter, character, or mark used to represent a particular sound. Phonograms are of three kinds: (1) Verbal signs, which stand for entire words; (2) Syllabic signs, which stand for the articulations of which words are composed; (3) Alphabetic signs, or letters, which represent the elementary sounds into which the syll…

A character or symbol used to represent a sound, esp. one used in phonography.

A description of the laws of the human voice, or sounds uttered by the organs of speech.

feldspathic, igneous rock containing nephelite, haüynite, etc. Thin slabs give a ringing sound when struck; -- called also clinkstone.

The science or doctrine of the elementary sounds uttered by the human voice in speech, including the various distinctions, modifications, and combinations of tones; phonetics. Also, a treatise on sounds.

An instrument for measuring sounds, as to their intensity, or the frequency of the vibrations.

An instrument in which motion is produced by the vibrations of a sounding body.

An instrument for observing or exhibiting the motions or properties of sounding bodies; especially, an apparatus invented by König for testing the quality of musical strings.

the ordinary letters and many new forms are employed in order to indicate each elementary sound by a separate character.

ic arc and a camera, by which a series of photographs of the variations of the arc due to sound waves are obtained for reproduction by means of a selenium cell and a telephone.

An apparatus for the production of sound by the action of rays of light. A. G. Bell.

An instrument for measuring vocal sounds. Whewell.