sounding

plural soundings

1. The action of the verb to sound.

   And thus did the trumpets sound one-and-twenty blasts every day; […] three soundings at the three pausings of the music, […]

   c. 1650, John Lightfoot, The Temple-Service

   1 more example

   In the course of his soundings, Sir Herbert Walker had heard favourable reports of O.V.S. Bulleid, currently Principal Assistant to Gresley on the LNER.

   1979 August, Graham Burtenshaw, Michael S. Welch, “O.V.S. Bulleid's SR loco-hauled coaches - 1”, in Railway World, page 394

1. not comparableEmitting a sound.

   The sounding bell woke me up.

2. not comparableSonorous.

   sounding words

   1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number)

   1 more example

   In her tomb by the sounding sea.

   1849, Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of sound

   Little Mary was sounding very sleepy, so I tucked her in bed.

   1 more example

   "Assist"'s sense ‘to be present (at a ceremony, entertainment, etc.)’, now uncommon and sounding affected, is a Gallicism.

plural soundings

1. countableuncountableA test made with a probe or sonde.

   Morning sounding at Chatham showed dry adiabatic lapse rate all the way to 700 mb this morning […]

   2020 June 25, National Weather Service Boston 9:52 AM forecast discussion

   1 more example

   Soundings showed wide variations in depths of water, and from the dredgings of the bottom came new types of sediment […]

   2011, John P. Rafferty, Oceans and Oceanography, page 189

2. countableuncountableA measured depth of water.

   The sailor took a sounding every five minutes

3. countablein pluraluncountableAny place or part of the ocean, or other water, where a sounding line will reach the bottom.

   We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas; Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England

   a. 1840, Spanish Ladies (naval song, chorus)

4. countableuncountableThe sand, shells, etc. brought up by the sounding lead when it has touched bottom.
5. countableuncountableThe act of inserting of a thin metal rod into the urethra of the penis for medical or sexual purposes.(See urethral sounding).