vocable
noun [ C ] language specialized uk/ˈvəʊ.kə.bəl/ us/ˈvoʊ.kə.bəl/
（以语音、字母为单位而不以意义为单位的）词，词外壳
a sound that is used in a particular language, especially one that is not considered a word, for example a sound such as "la" used in music or an exclamation such as "huh"
They sing rhythmic dance tunes using abstract vocables or nonsense lyrics. 他们用无意义的歌词或非表意的用词哼唱出有节奏的舞曲。
- More examples
- The songs are not sung in lyrics, but rather in Native American words and phrases, called "vocables", each carrying a special meaning.
- the vocables Indian percussionists use to share raga meters
- Vocables are common as pause fillers, such as "um" and "er" in English.