Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Volume

Vol′ume

,
Noun.
[F., from L.
volumen
a roll of writing, a book, volume, from
volvere
,
volutum
, to roll. See
Voluble
.]
1.
A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients.
[Obs.]
The papyrus, and afterward the parchment, was joined together [by the ancients] to form one sheet, and then rolled upon a staff into a
volume
(
volumen
).
Encyc. Brit.
2.
Hence, a collection of printed sheets bound together, whether containing a single work, or a part of a work, or more than one work; a book; a tome; especially, that part of an extended work which is bound up together in one cover;
as, a work in four
volumes
.
An odd
volume
of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set.
Franklin.
4.
Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil.
So glides some trodden serpent on the grass,
And long behind wounded
volume
trails.
Dryden.
Undulating billows rolling their silver
volumes
.
W. Irving.
4.
Dimensions; compass; space occupied, as measured by cubic units, that is, cubic inches, feet, yards, etc.; mass; bulk;
as, the
volume
of an elephant’s body; a
volume
of gas
.
5.
(Mus.)
Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone.
Atomic volume
,
Molecular volume
(Chem.)
,
the ratio of the atomic and molecular weights divided respectively by the specific gravity of the substance in question.
Specific volume
(Physics & Chem.)
,
the quotient obtained by dividing unity by the specific gravity; the reciprocal of the specific gravity. It is equal (when the specific gravity is referred to water at 4° C. as a standard) to the number of cubic centimeters occupied by one gram of the substance.

Webster 1828 Edition


Volume

VOL'UME

,
Noun.
[L. volumen, a roll; volvo, to roll. to make u long, in this word, is palpably wrong.]
1.
Primarily a roll, as the ancients wrote on long strips of bark, parchment or other material, which they formed into rolls or folds. Of such volumes, Ptolemy's library in Alexandria contained 3 or 700,000.
2.
A roll or turn; as much as is included in a roll or coil; as the volume of a serpent.
3.
Dimensions; compass; space occupied; as the volume of an elephant's body; a volume of gas.
4.
A swelling or spherical body.
The undulating billows rolling their silver volumes.
5.
A book; a collection of sheets of paper, usually printed or written paper, folded and bound, or covered. A book consisting of sheets once folded, is called a folio, or a folio volume; of sheets twice folded, a quarto; and thus according to the number of leaves in a sheet, it is called an octavo, or a duodecimo. The Scriptures or sacred writings, bound in a single volume, are called the Bible. The number of volumes in the Royal Library, in rue de Richlieu, at Paris, is variously estimated. It is probable it may amount to 400,000.
An odd volume of a set of books, bears not the value of its proportion to the set.
6.
In music, the compass of a voice from grave to acute; the tone or power of voice.

Definition 2024


volume

volume

English

Alternative forms

  • vol. (abbreviation)

Noun

volume (countable and uncountable, plural volumes)

  1. A unit of three-dimensional measure of space that comprises a length, a width and a height. It is measured in units of cubic centimeters in metric, cubic inches or cubic feet in English measurement.
    The room is 9x12x8, so its volume is 864 cubic feet.
  2. Strength of sound. Measured in decibels.
    Please turn down the volume on the stereo.
  3. The issues of a periodical over a period of one year.
    I looked at this week's copy of the magazine. It was volume 23, issue 45.
  4. A bound book.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
      However, with the dainty volume my quondam friend sprang into fame. At the same time he cast off the chrysalis of a commonplace existence.
  5. A single book of a publication issued in multi-book format, such as an encyclopedia.
    The letter "G" was found in volume 4.
  6. Quantity.
    The volume of ticket sales decreased this week.
  7. (economics) The total supply of money in circulation or, less frequently, total amount of credit extended, within a specified national market or worldwide.
  8. (computing) An accessible storage area with a single file system, typically resident on a single partition of a hard disk.

See also

cubic distance
sound

Derived terms

Translations


Asturian

Noun

volume m (plural volumes)

  1. volume

Dutch

Pronunciation

Noun

volume n (plural volumen or volumes, diminutive volumetje n)

  1. volume

French

Etymology

From Latin volūmen.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /vɔ.lym/

Noun

volume m (plural volumes)

  1. volume (of a book, a written work)
  2. volume (sound)
  3. volume (amount of space something takes up)
  4. volume (amount; quantity)
  5. (figuratively) an overly long piece of writing

Related terms


Galician

Etymology

From Latin volūmen (a book, roll).

Noun

volume m (plural volumes)

  1. volume (quantity of space)
  2. volume (single book of a published work)

Italian

Noun

volume m (plural volumi)

  1. volume

Related terms


Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin volūmen (a book, roll).

Noun

volume m, f

  1. volume, specifically a collection of written works

Descendants


Portuguese

Noun

volume m (plural volumes)

  1. volume (unit of three-dimensional measure)
  2. volume (strength of sound)
  3. volume (issues of a periodical over a period of one year)
  4. volume (single book of a publication issued in multi-book format)
  5. (chiefly historical) volume (bound book)
  6. volume; quantity

Synonyms

Related terms