Sing, v. t.
1. To utter with musical infections or modulations of voice. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. Rev. xv. 3. And in the darkness sing your carol of high praise. Keble.
2. To celebrate is song; to give praises to in verse; to relate or rehearse in numbers, verse, or poetry. Milton. Arms and the man I sing. Dryden. The last, the happiest British king, Whom thou shalt paint or I shall sing. Addison.
3. To influence by singing; to lull by singing; as, to sing a child to sleep.
4. To accompany, or attend on, with singing. I heard them singing home the bride. Longfellow.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Sing, v. i. [imp. Sung or Sang (; p. p. Sung; p. pr. & vb. n. Singing.]
1. To utter sounds with musical inflections or melodious modulations of voice, as fancy may dictate, or according to the notes of a song or tune, or of a given part (as alto, tenor, etc.) in a chorus or concerted piece. The noise of them that sing do I hear. Ex. xxxii. 18.
2. To utter sweet melodious sounds, as birds do. On every bough the briddes heard I sing. Chaucer. Singing birds, in silver cages hung. Dryden.
3. To make a small, shrill sound; as, the air sings in passing through a crevice. O'er his head the flying spear Sang innocent, and spent its force in air. Pope.
4. To tell or relate something in numbers or verse; to celebrate something in poetry. Milton. Bid her . . . sing Of human hope by cross event destroyed. Prior.
5. Ti cry out; to complain. [Obs.] They should sing if thet they were bent. Chaucer.
Shades of meaning
To sing is primarily and ordinarily to utter a succession of articulate musical sounds with the human voice. The word has come to include any succession of musical sounds; we say the bird or the rivulet sings; we speak of "the singing quality" of an instrument, and by still wider extension of meaning we say the teakettle or the cricket sings. To chant is to sing in solemn and somewhat uniform cadence; chant is ordinarily applied to non-metrical religious compositions. To carol is to sing joyously, and to warble (kindred with whirl) is to sing with trills or quavers, usually also with the idea of joy. Carol and warble are especially applied to the singing of birds. To chirp is to utter a brief musical sound, perhaps often repeated in the same key, as by certain small birds, insects, etc. To chirrup is to utter a somewhat similar sound; the word is often used of a brief, sharp sound uttered as a signal to animate or rouse a horse or other animal. To hum is to utter murmuring sounds with somewhat monotonous musical cadence, usually with closed lips; we speak also of the hum of machinery, etc.