polyphony
Americannoun
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Music. polyphonic composition; counterpoint.
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Phonetics. representation of different sounds by the same letter or symbol.
noun
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polyphonic style of composition or a piece of music utilizing it
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the use of polyphones in a writing system
Other Word Forms
- polyphonous adjective
- polyphonously adverb
Etymology
Origin of polyphony
First recorded in 1820–30, polyphony is from the Greek word polyphōnía variety of tones. See poly-, -phony
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.
It’s jazz at an early stage: this is still the era of everyone-at-once polyphony.
From New York Times
The children have their own afflictions, as does the husband-to-be, all shared in a polyphony of severed tongues.
From Los Angeles Times
He was at work on a second album of “generative polyphony” when the war came to Kyiv.
From New York Times
Geri Allen showed up in the 1980s with powerful grooves, exuberant melodies and astonishing polyphonies between her anchoring left hand and her wry, fluidly inventive right.
From New York Times
“The shock was so huge, absolutely huge,” Pichon said, recalling the thrill of singing polyphony in a stone building, rather than practicing his violin alone.
From New York Times
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.
