descant
[noun, adjective des-kant; verb des-kant, dis-]
noun
Music.
- a melody or counterpoint accompanying a simple musical theme and usually written above it.
- (in part music) the soprano.
- a song or melody.
a variation upon anything; comment on a subject.
adjective
Music (chiefly British ).
- soprano: a descant recorder.
- treble: a descant viol.
verb (used without object)
Music. to sing.
to comment or discourse at great length.
Also discant.
Origin of descant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for descant
Historical Examples of descant
After all this, might we descant upon the squire's characteristics.
The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar TupperMartin Farquhar Tupper
It is easy for us now to descant on the virtues of moderation.
William Pitt and the Great WarJohn Holland Rose
He tried to descant upon the weather, but the subject failed him.
The heart of happy hollowPaul Laurence Dunbar
But he did not choose to descant upon his gracelessness to Margery.
The Shadow of AshlydyatMrs. Henry Wood
It is unnecessary to descant upon the economy of this procedure.
Essays in Experimental LogicJohn Dewey
descant
noun (ˈdɛskænt, ˈdɪs-)
adjective (ˈdɛskænt, ˈdɪs-)
verb (dɛsˈkænt, dɪs-) (intr)
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
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