Library / English Dictionary

SING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: sang    , singing    , sung   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Divulge confidential information or secrets

Example:

Be careful--his secretary talks

Synonyms:

babble; babble out; blab; blab out; let the cat out of the bag; peach; sing; spill the beans; talk; tattle

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "sing" is one way to...):

break; bring out; disclose; discover; divulge; expose; give away; let on; let out; reveal; uncover; unwrap (make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret)

Verb group:

spill; talk (reveal information)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

singing (disclosing information or giving evidence about another)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound

Example:

the bullet sang past his ear

Synonyms:

sing; whistle

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "sing" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue sing

Derivation:

song (a distinctive or characteristic sound)

Sense 3

Meaning:

To make melodious sounds

Example:

The nightingale was singing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "sing" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Verb group:

sing (deliver by singing)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something ----s something

Sentence examples:

The birds sing in the woods

The woods sing with many kinds of birds

Derivation:

singer (a person who sings)

song (the characteristic sound produced by a bird)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Produce tones with the voice

Example:

My brother sings very well

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "sing" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Domain category:

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sing"):

sing (deliver by singing)

choir; chorus (sing in a choir)

chirp; tweedle (sing in modulation)

solmizate (sing using syllables like 'do', 're' and 'mi' to represent the tones of the scale)

minstrel (celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels)

psalm (sing or celebrate in psalms)

sing along (sing with a choir or an orchestra)

descant (sing in descant)

harmonise; harmonize (sing or play in harmony)

vocalise; vocalize (sing (each note a scale or in a melody) with the same vowel)

descant on (sing a descant on a main tune or melody)

belt; belt out (sing loudly and forcefully)

hum (sing with closed lips)

treble (sing treble)

quaver; trill; warble (sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below)

descant; warble; yodel (sing by changing register; sing by yodeling)

cantillate; chant; intonate; intone (recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm)

croon (sing softly)

troll (sing loudly and without inhibition)

place (sing a note with the correct pitch)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s to somebody

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue sing

Derivation:

singer (a person who sings)

singing (the act of singing vocal music)

song (the act of singing)

song (a short musical composition with words)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Deliver by singing

Example:

Sing Christmas carols

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "sing" is one way to...):

sing (produce tones with the voice)

interpret; render (give an interpretation or rendition of)

Verb group:

sing (to make melodious sounds)

Domain category:

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sing"):

solmizate (sing by the syllables of solmization)

troll (sing the parts of (a round) in succession)

hymn (sing a hymn)

carol (sing carols)

madrigal (sing madrigals)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They will sing the duet

Derivation:

singer (a person who sings)

singing (the act of singing vocal music)

song (the act of singing)

song (a short musical composition with words)

Credits

 Context examples: 

“My ears is singing. Lay me back.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

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

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

And touching Miss Bates, who at that moment passed near—“Miss Bates, are you mad, to let your niece sing herself hoarse in this manner?

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

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

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“You sing, don’t you, nephew?” he asked, suddenly.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She lives quietly, sings at concerts, drives out at five every day, and returns at seven sharp for dinner. Seldom goes out at other times, except when she sings.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But I had no time to think of the danger, for another stone sang past me as I hung by my hands from the edge of the ledge.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I had a note from my brother this morning in which he sang your praises very loudly.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

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

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)