OXFORD DICTIONARY
sounding, n.
1 a the action or process of measuring the depth of water, now usu. by means of echo. b an instance of this (took a sounding).
2 (in pl.) a a region close to the shore of the right depth for sounding. b Naut. measurements taken by sounding. c cautious investigation (made soundings as to his suitability).
3 a the determination of any physical property at a depth in the sea or at a height in the atmosphere. b an instance of this.
sounding-balloon a balloon used to obtain information about the upper atmosphere. sounding-line a line used in sounding the depth of water. sounding-rod a rod used in finding the depth of water in a ship's hold (see SOUND(3)).
sounding, adj.
1 giving forth (esp. loud or resonant) sound (sounding brass).
2 emptily boastful, resonant, or imposing (sounding promises).
THESAURUS
sounding
bathometry, bathymetry, booming, chiming, depth
sounding, dinging, droning, echo
sounding, echoic, echoing, echolocation, fathomage, fathoming, growling, jingling, lingering, monotone, monotonic, oceanography, pealing, persistent, reboant, rebounding, reechoing, repercussive, resounding, reverberant, reverberating, reverberatory, ringing, rumbling, sonar, sonation, soniferous, sonification, sonorous, sounded, soundings, thundering, tingling, tinkling, tintinnabular, tintinnabulary, tintinnabulous, tolling, tonal, toneless, undamped, water
ROGET THESAURUS
sounding
Sound
N
sound, noise, strain, accent, twang, intonation, tone, cadence, sonorousness, audibility, resonance, voice, aspirate, ideophone, rough breathing, acoustics, phonics, phonetics, phonology, phonography, diacoustics, diaphonics, phonetism,
sounding, soniferous, sonorous, sonorific, resonant, audible, distinct, stertorous, phonetic, phonic, phonocamptic, a thousand trills and quivering sounds, forensis strepitus.