organum

[awr-guh-nuh m]

See more synonyms for organum on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural or·ga·na

[awr-guh-nuh] /ˈɔr gə nə/, or·ga·nums.

an organon.
Music.
1. the doubling, or simultaneous singing, of a melody at an interval of either a fourth, a fifth, or an octave.
2. the second part in such singing.

Origin of organum

From Latin, dating back to 1605–15; see origin at organ

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for organum

arrangement, unity, melody, composition, tune, chord, unison, consonance, concert, richness, concurrence, piece, chime, chorus, euphony, symphony, triad, blend, overtone, blending

Examples from the Web for organum

Historical Examples of organum

The very word is redolent of an Organum—whether novum or veterum.
Essays in Experimental Logic
John Dewey
The transition from organum to discant was effected about the year 1100.
Music in the History of the Western Church
Edward Dickinson
The Organum (philosophy of first principles) of Aristotle was first publicly taught in 1215.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V
John Lord
Organum est librite hydrobapticum ad omnium ripas situm, lingu fervore refrigerando.
The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume II (of 2)
Richard Crashaw
The inductive method, so far as exhibited in the Organum, is exemplified by an investigation into the nature of heat.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1
Various

British Dictionary definitions for organum

organum

noun plural -na (-nə) or -nums

a form of polyphonic music originating in the ninth century, consisting of a plainsong melody with parts added at the fourth and fifth
a variant of organon

Word Origin for organum

C17: via Latin from Greek; see organ

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