So"nant (?), a. [L. sonans, - antis, p. pr. of sonare to sound. See
Sound a noise.] 1. Of or pertaining to sound; sounding.
2. (Phonetics) Uttered, as an element of speech, with tone or proper
vocal sound, as distinguished from mere breath sound; intonated;
voiced; vocal; tonic; the opposite of nonvocal, or surd; -- said of the
vowels, semivowels, liquids, and nasals, and particularly of the
consonants b, d, g hard, v, etc., as compared with their cognates p, t,
k, f, etc., which are called nonvocal, surd, or aspirate. -- n. A
sonant letter.
So*na"ta (?), n. [It., fr. It. & L. sonare to sound. See Sound a
noise.] (Mus.) An extended composition for one or two instruments,
consisting usually of three or four movements; as, Beethoven's sonatas
for the piano, for the violin and piano, etc.
The same general structure prevails in symphonies, instrumental trios,
quartets, etc., and even in classical concertos. The sonata form,
distinctively, characterizes the quick opening movement, which may have
a short, slow introduction; the second, or slow, movement is either in
the song or variation form; third comes the playful minuet or the more
modern scherzo; then the quick finale in the rondo form. But both form
and order are sometimes exceptional.
||So`na*ti"na (?), n. [It.] (Mus.) A short and simple sonata.
{ Son"cy, Son"sy (?) }, a. [Scot. sonce, sons, prosperity, happiness,
fr. Gael. & Ir. sonas.] Lucky; fortunate; thriving; plump. [Prov. Eng.
& Scot.]
{ Sond (?), Sonde }, n. [AS. sand. See Send, v. t.] That which is sent;
a message or messenger; hence, also, a visitation of providence; an
affliction or trial. [Obs.]
Ye have enough, parde, of Goddes sond.
Chaucer.
||Son"de*li (?), n. (Zoöl.) The musk shrew. See under Musk.
Song (sng; 115), n. [AS. song, sang, fr. singan to sing; akin to D.
zang, G. sang, Icel. söngr, Goth. saggws. See Sing.] 1. That which is
sung or uttered with musical modulations of the voice, whether of a
human being or of a bird, insect, etc. "That most ethereal of all
sounds, the song of crickets." Hawthorne.