Synonyms

cantillate

American

[kan-tl-eyt] / ˈkæn tlˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

cantillated, cantillating

to chant; intone.

cantillate British

/ ˈkæntɪˌleɪt /

verb

to chant (passages of the Hebrew Scriptures) according to the traditional Jewish melody
to intone or chant

"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

Other Word Forms

cantillation noun

Etymology

Origin of cantillate

1860–65; < Late Latin cantillātus sung low, hummed (past participle of cantillāre ), equivalent to cant- sing ( cant ¹ ) + -ill- diminutive suffix + -ātus -ate ¹

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.

Does Mr. Arnold Bennett cantillate his "copy" into the horn of a graphophone or use a motor-stylus?

From Punch or the London Charivari, Volume 158, March 24, 1920. by Various

A lady of pleasing appearance, attired in a mollified Pierrot costume, stood before some Japanese screens and began to intone—to cantillate, would be a better expression.

From Ivory Apes and Peacocks by Huneker, James

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023