Thesaurus: descant

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. i. 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.
2. v. i. The upper voice in part music.
3. v. i. The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble.
4. v. i. A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments.
5. v. i. To sing a variation or accomplishment.
6. v. i. To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large.
7. n. a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added above a basic melody
8. v. sing in descant
9. v. sing by changing register; sing by yodeling
10. v. talk at great length about something of one's interest
11. 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. Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as children make descant upon plain song. Tyndale. She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous descant sung. Milton. Note: The term has also been used synonymously with counterpoint, or polyphony, which developed out of the French déchant, of the 12th century. 2. A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments. Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant! De Quincey. 1. To sing a variation or accomplishment. 2. To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large. A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions. Addison.
12. n:100 n. a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added above a basic melody v. sing in descant v. talk at great length about something of one's interest