call-and-response
Americanadjective
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noting or pertaining to a style of singing in which a melody sung by one singer is responded to or echoed by one or more singers.
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noting or pertaining to rapid, spontaneous verbal and nonverbal interaction between speaker and listener, in which all statements are punctuated by expressions from the listener.
noun
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call-and-response singing.
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call-and-response interaction between speaker and listener.
noun
Etymology
Origin of call-and-response
First recorded in 1820–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He pioneered the Afrobeat genre alongside drummer Tony Allen, blending West African rhythms, jazz, funk, highlife, extended improvisation, call-and-response vocals and politically charged lyricism.
From BBC
Kevitt then led a call-and-response with the crowd: “Walking, biking, is our right. We will not give up the fight!” they chanted.
From Los Angeles Times
They chanted slogans vowing to “sacrifice ourselves for the South,” while an MC initiated a call-and-response.
From Los Angeles Times
The actor picked on Camila Cabello, Anna Kendrick, Colman Domingo, James McAvoy and Celia Imrie for the call-and-response "Da da-da!" bits after the chorus.
From BBC
The French audience needed only seconds of the latter’s familiar call-and-response from piano and horns to feel moved to applaud.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.