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descant

[ noun, adjective des-kant; verb des-kant, dis- ]
/ noun, adjective ˈdɛs kænt; verb dɛsˈkænt, dɪs- /
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See synonyms for descant on Thesaurus.com
noun
Music.
  1. a melody or counterpoint accompanying a simple musical theme and usually written above it.
  2. (in part music) the soprano.
  3. a song or melody.
a variation upon anything; comment on a subject.
adjective
Music (chiefly British).
  1. soprano: a descant recorder.
  2. treble: a descant viol.
verb (used without object)
Music. to sing.
to comment or discourse at great length.
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Also discant.

Origin of descant

1350–1400; Middle English discant, descaunt<Anglo-French <Medieval Latin discanthus, equivalent to Latin dis-dis-1 + cantus song; see chant

OTHER WORDS FROM descant

des·cant·er, noun

Words nearby descant

desaturated, desaturation, desc., descale, descamisado, descant, Descartes, Descartes' law, Descartes, René, descend, descendant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to descant

comment, criticism, discussion, criticize, discourse, discuss

How to use descant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for descant

descant
noun (ˈdɛskænt, ˈdɪs-)
Also: discant a decorative counterpoint added above a basic melody
a comment, criticism, or discourse
adjective (ˈdɛskænt, ˈdɪs-)
Also: discant of or pertaining to the highest member in common use of a family of musical instrumentsa descant recorder
verb (dɛsˈkænt, dɪs-) (intr)
Also: discant (often foll by on or upon) to compose or perform a descant (for a piece of music)
(often foll by on or upon) to discourse at length or make varied comments

Derived forms of descant

descanter, noun

Word Origin for descant

C14: from Old Northern French, from Medieval Latin discantus, from Latin dis- 1 + cantus song; see 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
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