from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Volume \Vol"ume\, n. [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.]
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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.
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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.
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An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value
of its proportion to the set. --Franklin.
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4. Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll;
a turn; a convolution; a coil.
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So glides some trodden serpent on the grass,
And long behind wounded volume trails. --Dryden.
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Undulating billows rolling their silver volumes.
--W. Irving.
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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.
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5. (Mus.) Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or
tone.
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{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[deg] C. as a standard)
to the number of cubic centimeters occupied by one gram of
the substance.
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