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plainsong

or plain song

[ pleyn-sawng, -song ]
/ ˈpleɪnˌsɔŋ, -ˌsɒŋ /
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See synonyms for: plainsong / plainsongs on Thesaurus.com
noun
the unisonous vocal music used in the Christian church from the earliest times.
modal liturgical music; Gregorian chant.
a cantus firmus or theme chosen for contrapuntal development.
any simple and unadorned melody or air.
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Also called plainchant (for defs. 1, 2).

Origin of plainsong

1505–15; translation of Medieval Latin cantus plānus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to plainsong

melody, opera, piece, rap, rock, singing, soul, tune, acoustic, air, bebop, bop, chamber, classical, folk, fusion, harmony, hymn, jazz, measure

How to use plainsong in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plainsong

plainsong
/ (ˈpleɪnˌsɒŋ) /
noun
the style of unison unaccompanied vocal music used in the medieval Church, esp in Gregorian chantAlso called: plainchant

Word Origin for plainsong

C16: translation of Medieval Latin cantus plānus
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
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