vocal cords
plural noun Anatomy.
either of the two pairs of folds of mucous membrane projecting into the cavity of the larynx.
Compare
true vocal cords,
false vocal cords.
Origin of vocal cords
First recorded in 1850–55
Words nearby vocal cords
vocabulary,
vocabulary entry,
vocal,
vocal cord,
vocal cord nodules,
vocal cords,
vocal fold,
vocal folds,
vocal fremitus,
vocal fry,
vocal ligament
British Dictionary definitions for vocal cord
vocal cords
pl n
either of two pairs of mucomembranous folds in the larynx. The upper pair (false vocal cords) are not concerned with vocal production; the lower pair (true vocal cords or vocal folds) can be made to vibrate and produce sound when air from the lungs is forced over them
See also glottis Related adjective: glottal
Medical definitions for vocal cord
vocal cord
n.
The sharp edge of a fold of mucous membrane stretching along either wall of the larynx from the angle between the laminae of the thyroid cartilage to the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage. Vibrations of these cords are used in voice production.
true vocal cord vocal fold
Scientific definitions for vocal cord
vocal cords
[ vō′kəl ]
The two folded pairs of membranes in the larynx (voice box) that vibrate when air that is exhaled passes through them, producing sound.