discant
Americannoun
-
Music. Also discantus a 13th-century polyphonic style with strict mensural meter in all the voice parts, in contrast to the metrically free organum of the period.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discant
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin discanthus; see descant
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.
Then the spirit moving her, she began to discant on things past and people vanished.
From The Ghost Girl by Stacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere)
The doctor protested his innocence of the deed, while the parson continued to discant upon the consequences that would result from the disfiguration of his features.
From The Life and Adventures of Maj. Roger Sherman Potter by Adams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
Comely he clappyth a payre of clavicordys He whystelyth so swetely he maketh me to swet, His discant is dashed full of discordes, A red angry man, but easy to intrete; etc.
From Shakespeare and Music With Illustrations from the Music of the 16th and 17th centuries by Naylor, Edward W. (Edward Woodall)
From Agricola onwards transverse flutes formed a complete family, said to comprise the discant, the alto and tenor, and the bass— respectively.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various
Du, Eberle aus Freiburg, Du bist ein Musikant, Top-sawyer on de counterpoint Und buster in discant, To dee de soul of musik All innerly ish known, Du canst mit might fullenden De art of orgel-ton.
From The Breitmann Ballads by Leland, Charles Godfrey
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.
