Descant \Des"cant\ (d[e^]s"k[a^]nt), n. [OF. descant, deschant,
F. d['e]chant, discant, LL. discantus, fr. L. dis + cantus
singing, melody, fr. canere to sing. See Chant, and cf.
Descant, v. i., Discant.]
1. (Mus.)
(a) Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint
sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of
an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or
plain song.
(b) The upper voice in part music.
(c) The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble.
--Grove.
[1913 Webster]
Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as
children make descant upon plain song.
--Tyndale.
[1913 Webster]
She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous
descant sung. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The term has also been used synonymously with
counterpoint, or polyphony, which developed out of the
French d['e]chant, of the 12th century.
[1913 Webster]
2. A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a
musical air; a comment or comments.
[1913 Webster]
Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a
descant! --De Quincey.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Descant \Des*cant"\ (d[e^]s*k[a^]nt"), v. i. [imp. & p. p.
Descanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Descanting.] [From descant;
n.; or directly fr. OF. descanter, deschanter; L. dis- +
cantare to sing.]
1. To sing a variation or accomplishment.
[1913 Webster]
2. To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and
particularity; to discourse at large.
[1913 Webster]
A virtuous man should be pleased to find people
descanting on his actions. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Figurate \Fig"ur*ate\, a. [L. figuratus, p. p. of figurare. See
Figure.]
1. Of a definite form or figure.
[1913 Webster]
Plants are all figurate and determinate, which
inanimate bodies are not. --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
2. Figurative; metaphorical. [Obs.] --Bale.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Mus.) Florid; figurative; involving passing discords by
the freer melodic movement of one or more parts or voices
in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint or descant.
[1913 Webster]
Figurate counterpoint or Figurate descant (Mus.), that
which is not simple, or in which the parts do not move
together tone for tone, but in which freer movement of one
or more parts mingles passing discords with the harmony;
-- called also figural, figurative, and figured
counterpoint or descant (although the term figured is
more commonly applied to a bass with numerals written
above or below to indicate the other notes of the
harmony).
Figurate numbers (Math.), numbers, or series of numbers,
formed from any arithmetical progression in which the
first term is a unit, and the difference a whole number,
by taking the first term, and the sums of the first two,
first three, first four, etc., as the successive terms of
a new series, from which another may be formed in the same
manner, and so on, the numbers in the resulting series
being such that points representing them are capable of
symmetrical arrangement in different geometrical figures,
as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc.
Note: In the following example, the two lower lines are
composed of figurate numbers, those in the second line
being triangular, and represented thus:
. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. . . . 1, 3, 6, 10, etc. . . . . . .
. etc. 1, 4, 10, 20, etc . . . . . . . . . . . .
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
descant
n : a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added
above a basic melody [syn: discant]
v 1: sing in descant
2: sing by changing register; sing by yodeling; "The Austrians
were yodeling in the mountains" [syn: yodel, warble]
3: talk at great length about something of one's interest
WordNet (r) 2.0
196 Moby Thesaurus words for "descant":
Nachtmusik, Vorspiel, absolute music, accompaniment, adaptation,
air, air varie, aleatory, aleatory music, alto, amplify, anthem,
aria, arrangement, article, ballad, baritone, bass, basso continuo,
basso ostinato, bassus, canto, cantus, cantus figuratus,
cantus planus, carol, causerie, chamber music, chamber orchestra,
chant, chirp, chirrup, choir, chorus, comment upon, composition,
concert overture, continuo, contralto, criticize, croon,
curtain raiser, deal with, detail, develop, diapason, dilate,
discourse, discuss, discussion, disquisition, dissert, dissertate,
dissertation, ditty, do-re-mi, dramatic overture, drone, elaborate,
electronic music, enlarge, enlarge upon, essay, etude, evolve,
examination, excursus, exercise, expand, expatiate, explicate,
exposition, feature, figured bass, first approach, go into,
ground bass, handle, harmonization, homily, hum, hymn,
incidental music, inquire into, instrumental music, intonate,
intone, introduction, introductory study, invention, lay, lied,
lilt, line, lucubration, measure, melodia, melodic line, melody,
memoir, minstrel, monograph, morceau, nocturne, note,
operatic overture, opus, orchestration, outline, overture, pandect,
paper, paragraph, part, particularize, piece, pipe, plain chant,
plain song, preliminary study, prelude, prick song, production,
program music, prolegomenon, psalm, quaver, refrain,
rehearse in extenso, relate at large, remark upon, research paper,
review, ricercar, roulade, score, screed, serenade, sermonize,
shake, sing, sing in chorus, sketch, sol-fa, solmizate, solo,
solo part, sonata, sonatina, song, soprano, soprano part,
special article, strain, string orchestra, string quartet, study,
survey, take up, tenor, term paper, theme, theme and variations,
thesis, thorough bass, touch upon, tract, tractate, treat,
treat of, treatise, treatment, treble, tremolo, trill, trio, troll,
tune, tweedle, tweedledee, twit, twitter, undersong, unfold, vamp,
variation, vocalize, voice, voice part, voluntary, warble, whistle,
work, work out, write up, yodel
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
discant, warble, yodel
|
|
|