definitions

urtext

[ ur-tekst, oo r- ]
/ ˈɜrˌtɛkst, ˈʊər- /

noun (sometimes initial capital letter)

the original form of a text, especially of a musical composition.

Nearby words

ursine dasyure, ursine howler, ursprache, ursula, ursuline, urtext, urticaceous, urticant, urticaria, urticaria endemica, urticaria medicamentosa

Origin of urtext

First recorded in 1950–55; ur-3 + text
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for urtext

Urtext

/ German (ˈuːrtɛkst) /

noun

the earliest form of a text as established by linguistic scholars as a basis for variants in later texts still in existence
an edition of a musical score showing the composer's intentions without later editorial interpolation

Word Origin for Urtext

from ur- original + text
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