SINGING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does singing mean? 

• SINGING (noun)
  The noun SINGING has 2 senses:

1. the act of singing vocal music

2. disclosing information or giving evidence about another

  Familiarity information: SINGING used as a noun is rare.

• SINGING (adjective)
  The adjective SINGING has 1 sense:

1. smooth and flowing

  Familiarity information: SINGING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SINGING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of singing vocal music

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

singing; vocalizing

Hypernyms ("singing" is a kind of...):

musical performance (the act of performing music)

vocal music (music that is vocalized (as contrasted with instrumental music))

Domain member category:

coach; private instructor; tutor (a person who gives private instruction (as in singing, acting, etc.))

eisteddfod (any of several annual Welsh festivals involving artistic competitions (especially in singing))

chorus; Greek chorus (a company of actors who comment (by speaking or singing in unison) on the action in a classical Greek play)

music (musical activity (singing or whistling etc.))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "singing"):

chanting; intonation (the act of singing in a monotonous tone)

yodeling (singing by changing back and forth between the chest voice and a falsetto)

solfege; solfeggio; solmization (singing using solfa syllables to denote the notes of the scale of C major)

solfege; solfeggio (a voice exercise; singing scales or runs to the same syllable)

singalong; singsong (informal group singing of popular songs)

hymnody; psalmody (the act of singing psalms or hymns)

part-singing (singing with three or more voice parts)

karaoke (singing popular songs accompanied by a recording of an orchestra (usually in bars or nightclubs))

intonation (singing by a soloist of the opening piece of plainsong)

a capella singing; a cappella singing (singing without instrumental accompaniment)

humming (the act of singing with closed lips)

harmonisation; harmonization (singing in harmony)

scat; scat singing (singing jazz; the singer substitutes nonsense syllables for the words of the song and tries to sound like a musical instrument)

crooning (singing in a soft low tone)

crooning (the act of singing popular songs in a sentimental manner)

caroling (singing joyful religious songs (especially at Christmas))

coloratura (singing with florid ornamentation)

bel canto (a style of operatic singing)

Derivation:

sing (produce tones with the voice)

sing (deliver by singing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Disclosing information or giving evidence about another

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

singing; tattle; telling

Hypernyms ("singing" is a kind of...):

disclosure; revealing; revelation (the speech act of making something evident)

Derivation:

sing (divulge confidential information or secrets)

• SINGING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Smooth and flowing

Synonyms:

cantabile; singing

Similar:

melodic; melodious; musical (containing or constituting or characterized by pleasing melody)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

 Context examples 

From far off he could hear a childish treble singing: "Waltz me around again, Willie, around, around, around."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He went on with his singing, just as though we had not been present.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

She was very fond of singing.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

As he spoke there came a roar of singing from the tavern upon the right, with shouts of laughter and stamping of feet.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But, whether she was afraid of singing before people, or was out of voice that evening, it was certain that she couldn't sing at all.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She looked at her father to entreat his interference, lest Mary should be singing all night.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A shrill and minute singing stole upon his hearing.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Then he touched the door with the flower, and it sprang open; so that he went in through the court, and listened when he heard so many birds singing.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

We flew up, and hid behind the curtains, but sly peeps showed us Fred and the students singing away down below.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It will be as if you hear bells and a choir of angels singing.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)