hocket

[ hok-it ]

noun

1. a technique in medieval musical composition in which two or three voice parts are given notes or short phrases in rapid alternation, producing an erratic, hiccuping effect.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hocket¹

1250–1300; Middle English hoket hitch < Middle French hocquet hiccup, sudden interruption, equivalent to hoc- (imitative) + -et diminutive suffix; hiccup