sounding board

1. Music

a. A thin board forming the upper portion of the resonant chamber in an instrument, such as a violin or piano, and serving to increase resonance.

b. A structure placed behind or over a podium or platform to reflect music or a speaker's voice to an audience. Also called soundboard.

2. A person or group whose reactions to an idea, opinion, or point of view serve as a measure of its effectiveness or acceptability.

3. A device or means serving to spread or popularize an idea or a point of view.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sounding board

1. (Instruments) Also called: soundboard a thin wooden board in a piano or comprising the upper surface of a resonating chamber in a violin, cello, etc, serving to amplify the vibrations produced by the strings passing across it. See also belly⁶

2. (Building) Also called: soundboard a thin screen suspended over a pulpit, stage, etc, to reflect sound towards an audience

3. a person, group, experiment, etc, used to test a new idea, policy, etc, for acceptance or applicability

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sound′ing board`

1. Also called soundboard. a thin, resonant plate of wood forming part of a musical instrument, and so placed as to enhance the power and quality of the tone.

2. a structure over or at the back of a platform or stage to reflect sound toward the audience.

3. a person whose reactions serve as a measure of the acceptability of an idea or course of action.

4. a person or group that propagates ideas or opinions.

[1760–70]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	sounding board - a person whose reactions to something serve as an indication of its acceptability; "I would use newspapermen as a sounding board for such policies" individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
	2.	sounding board - (music) resonator consisting of a thin board whose vibrations reinforce the sound of the instrument soundboard forte-piano, piano, pianoforte - a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds cavity resonator, resonating chamber, resonator - a hollow chamber whose dimensions allow the resonant oscillation of electromagnetic or acoustic waves sound hole - a hole in a soundboard (as of a violin) designed to resonate with the tones stringed instrument - a musical instrument in which taut strings provide the source of sound music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

Translations

tornavoz

sounding board

(on instrument) → Resonanzboden m; (over platform etc) → Schalldeckel m

(fig) → Resonanzboden m; he used the committee as a sounding board for his ideas → er benutzte den Ausschuss, um die Wirkung seiner Vorschläge zu sondieren

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sounding board

n (Mus) → tavola armonica (fig) → banco di prova

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

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