a sound produced in the throat and mouth of an animal, by peculiar organs.

Voices are either articulate or inarticulate. Articulate voices are those whereof several confpire together to form some intelligible or little system of sounds: such are the voices expressing the letters of an alphabet, numbers of which joined together form words. Inarticulate voices are such as are not organized, or assembled into words; such is the barking of dogs, the braying of asses, the hissing of serpents, the singing of birds, &c.

For a description of the organs of the voice, see ANATOMY; see also PHYSIOLOGY Index.

Grammar, a circumstance in verbs, whereby they come to be considered as either active or passive, i.e. either expressing an action impressed on another subject, as, I beat; or receiving it from another, as, I am beaten. See GRAMMAR.

matters of election, denotes a vote or suffrage.

Oratory. See DECLAMATION; READING, No. 5.; and ORATORY, No. 129—131.

VOLANT, in Heraldry, is when a bird, in a coat of arms, is drawn flying, or having its wings spread out.

VOLATILE, in Physics, something that is easily diffipated by fire or heat.

VOLATILE Alkali. See AMMONIA, CHEMISTRY Index.

VOLATILISATION, the art of rendering fixed bodies volatile, or of resolving them by fire into a vapour.

VOLCANO, a name given to burning mountains, or to vents for subterranean fires. See GEOLOGY Index, AETNA, HECLA, &c.

VOLERY, a bird-cage, of such a size that the birds have room to fly up and down in it.