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hemiola

American

[hem-ee-oh-luh] / ˌhɛm iˈoʊ lə /

noun

Music.

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

hemiola British

/ ˌhɛmɪˈɒlɪk, ˌhɛmɪˈəʊlə /

noun

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

"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

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

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.

The heroic opening heralded a propulsive interpretation, guided by hemiola rhythms but emphasized in mighty sforzando accents and thrillingly veering dynamics.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023