antiphony

[ an-tif-uh-nee ]

/ ænˈtɪf ə ni /

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.

Nearby words

Origin of antiphony

First recorded in 1585–95; antiphon + -y³

Related formsan·ti·phon·ic

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for antiphony

He looked back fondly to the days when he had sung his part in the antiphony in the magnificent cathedral at Manila.
The Great White Tribe in Filipinia|Paul T. Gilbert
According to its derivation (from ant-hymn, responsive or alternate song) the word anthem was at first synonymous with antiphony.
Music in the History of the Western Church|Edward Dickinson
Antiphony was the ancient mode of rendering music, in which two sets of voices sang alternately.
A Short History of English Music|Ernest Ford
He consumed the cleansings and turned to read the antiphony with resonant voice.
Under the Witches' Moon|Nathan Gallizier

The culprits poured out for a while an antiphony of explanations, which died out at last in a miserable silence.
St. Ives|Robert Louis Stevenson

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

Word Origin and History for antiphony

antiphony

1590s, from Greek antiphonos (see antiphon) + -y (1).