a. [ L. sonorus, fr. sonor, -oris, a sound, akin to sonus a sound. See Sound. ] 1. Giving sound when struck; resonant; as, sonorous metals. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Loud-sounding; giving a clear or loud sound; as, a sonorous voice. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Yielding sound; characterized by sound; vocal; sonant; as, the vowels are sonorous. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. Impressive in sound; high-sounding. [ 1913 Webster ] The Italian opera, amidst all the meanness and familiarty of the thoughts, has something beautiful and sonorous in the expression. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ] There is nothing of the artificial Johnsonian balance in his style. It is as often marked by a pregnant brevity as by a sonorous amplitude. E. Everett. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. (Med.) Sonant; vibrant; hence, of sounds produced in a cavity, deep-toned; as, sonorous rhonchi. [ 1913 Webster ]
Sonorous 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. --
Sonorous tumor (Med.), a tumor which emits a clear, resonant sound on percussion. [ 1913 Webster ]
-- So*no"rous*ly, adv. -- So*no"rous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ] | 