hemiola

American  

[hem-ee-oh-luh] / ˌhɛm iˈoʊ lə /

noun

Music.

1. a rhythmic pattern of syncopated beats with two beats in the time of three or three beats in the time of two.

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hemiola British  

/ ˌhɛmɪˈɒlɪk, ˌhɛmɪˈəʊlə /

noun

1. Also called: sesquialtera.  music a rhythmic device involving the superimposition of, for example, two notes in the time of three

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Other Word Forms

• hemiolic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hemiola

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin hēmiolia < Greek hēmiolía the ratio of one and a half to one, feminine of hēmiolíos half as large again, equivalent to hēmi- hemi- + ( h ) ól ( os ) whole + -ios adj. suffix