antiphony

[ an-tif-uh-nee ]

/ ænˈtɪf ə ni /

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noun, plural an·tiph·o·nies.

alternate or responsive singing by a choir in two divisions.

a psalm, verse, etc., so sung; antiphon.

a responsive musical utterance.

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Origin of antiphony

First recorded in 1585–95; antiphon + -y³

OTHER WORDS FROM antiphony

an·ti·phon·ic

[an-tuh-fon-ik], /ˌæn təˈfɒn ɪk/, adjectivean·ti·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby antiphony

antiperspirant, antiphlogistic, antiphon, antiphonal, antiphonary, antiphony, antiphrasis, Antiphus, anti-pill, antiplastic, antipodal

How to use antiphony in a sentence

Oh, never more for me shall winds intone With all your tops a vast antiphony, Demanding and responding in God's praise!
Browning's England|Helen Archibald Clarke
He consumed the cleansings and turned to read the antiphony with resonant voice.
Under the Witches' Moon|Nathan Gallizier
Trinidad recited his appeal and the Judge boomed out his ponderous antiphony.
Heart of the West|O. Henry
The revival of 1851–2 was a local one, but was believed by many to have been inspired by a celestial antiphony.
The Story of the Hymns and Tunes|Theron Brown and Hezekiah Butterworth

Antiphony was the ancient mode of rendering music, in which two sets of voices sang alternately.
A Short History of English Music|Ernest Ford

British Dictionary definitions for antiphony

antiphony

/ (ænˈtɪfənɪ) /

noun plural -nies

the antiphonal singing of a musical composition by two choirs

any musical or other sound effect that answers or echoes another

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012