Ventriloquises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To speak in a way that minimizes lip movement so the voice seems to come from elsewhere ; to create the impression that speech originates from a puppet or another object
2. To project one's voice silently by avoiding lip movement so it appears to come from another person or thing ; to use a puppet or dummy to make it seem that speech comes from the puppet instead of the speaker
3. To utter words while keeping lips still, giving the illusion that the sound is coming from a distinct figure; to operate a dummy or puppet so it looks like it is talking while the ventriloquist remains silent-lipped

Etymology: "Ventriloquises" is the third-person singular present form of "ventriloquise", the British spelling of "ventriloquize" meaning to speak without moving the lips so that the voice seems to come from somewhere else. The base verb is built from Latin "venter", "belly", and "loqui", "to speak", so the word literally describes speaking from the belly. The name reflects an old belief that the voice originated in the stomach, a notion that the Latin roots preserve even though the sound is produced in the throat and mouth.