ˈvauəl n. 1 a speech-sound
made with vibration of
the vocal cords but
without audible friction,
more open than a
consonant and capable of forming a
syllable. 2 a
letter or letters representing
this, as a, e, i, o, u, aw,
ah. øvowel
gradation =
ABLAUT. vowel
mutation =
UMLAUT 2. vowel-point
each of a set of marks indicating vowels in
Hebrew etc. øøvowelled adj. (also in comb.). vowelless adj. vowelly adj. [ME f. OF vouel, voiel f. L vocalis (littera) VOCAL (letter)]