quodlibet
[ kwod-luh-bet ]
/ ˈkwɒd ləˌbɛt /
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noun
a subtle or elaborate argument or point of debate, usually on a theological or scholastic subject.
Music. a humorous composition consisting of two or more independent and harmonically complementary melodies, usually quotations of well-known tunes, played or sung together, usually to different texts, in a polyphonic arrangement.
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Origin of quodlibet
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin noun quodlibētum “whatever subject you like,” from Latin indefinite pronoun and adjective quod libet “what(ever) pleases, as you please”
OTHER WORDS FROM quodlibet
quod·li·bet·ic, quod·li·bet·i·cal, adjectivequod·li·bet·i·cl·ly, adverbWords nearby quodlibet
quoad hoc, quo animo?, quod, quod erat demonstrandum, quod erat faciendum, quodlibet, quod vide, quoin, quoin post, quoit, quoits
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for quodlibet
British Dictionary definitions for quodlibet
quodlibet
/ (ˈkwɒdlɪˌbɛt) /
noun
a light piece of music based on two or more popular tunes
a subtle argument, esp one prepared as an exercise on a theological topic
Derived forms of quodlibet
quodlibetical, adjectivequodlibetically, adverbWord Origin for quodlibet
C14: from Latin, from quod what + libet pleases, that is, whatever you like
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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