counterpoint
Music. the art of combining melodies.
Music. the texture resulting from the combining of individual melodic lines.
a melody composed to be combined with another melody.
Also called coun·ter·point rhythm [koun-ter-point rith-uhm] /ˈkaʊn tərˌpɔɪnt ˌrɪð əm/ .Prosody. syncopation (def. 2).
any element that is juxtaposed and contrasted with another.
to emphasize or clarify by contrast or juxtaposition.
Origin of counterpoint
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for counterpoint
/ (ˈkaʊntəˌpɔɪnt) /
the technique involving the simultaneous sounding of two or more parts or melodies
a melody or part combined with another melody or part: See also descant (def. 1)
the musical texture resulting from the simultaneous sounding of two or more melodies or parts
strict counterpoint the application of the rules of counterpoint as an academic exercise
a contrasting or interacting element, theme, or item; foil
prosody the use of a stress or stresses at variance with the regular metrical stress
(tr) to set in contrast
Origin of counterpoint
1Other words from counterpoint
- Related adjective: contrapuntal
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
Cultural definitions for counterpoint
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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