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music definition

Overview

This page has 10 definitions of music in English, Interlingua (International Auxiliary Language Association), and Middle English. Music is a noun, verb and adjective. Examples of how to use music in a sentence are shown. Also define these 20 related words and terms: sound, time, melody, harmony, tempo, mood, singing, sheet music, military, electronic, signal, jamming, heated, argument, fun, amusement, seduce, entice, musical, and musike.

See also: Music, Musić, and músic

English music definition
Romeo and Juliet Overture
Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra, courtesy of Musopen
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Wikiquote

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English musik, musike, borrowed from Anglo-Norman musik, musike, Old French musique, and their source Latin mūsica, from Ancient Greek μουσική (mousikḗ), from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”), an Ancient Greek deity of the arts. Surface analysis muse +‎ -ic (“pertaining to”). Displaced native Old English drēam, which was a cognate with English dream.

Pronunciation

Noun

music (usually uncountable, plural musics)

  1. A series of sounds organized in time, employing melody, harmony, tempo etc. usually to convey a mood.
    I keep listening to this music because it's a masterpiece.
    • 2013 November 22, Ian Sample, “Music lessons in early childhood may improve brain's performance”, in The Guardian Weekly‎[1], volume 189, number 24, page 32:
      Music lessons in early childhood lead to changes in the brain that could improve its performance far into adulthood, researchers say.
    • Melody definition
      tune; sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase
  2. (figuratively) Any pleasing or interesting sounds.
    • 1856, John Esten Cooke, The Virginia Comedians‎[2], page 247:
      “Oh! this was very kind,” she said, with that simplicity and tenderness, which at times made her voice pure music, “I could not have expected you so soon.”
  3. An art form, created by organizing of pitch, rhythm, and sounds made using musical instruments and sometimes singing.
  4. A guide to playing or singing a particular tune; sheet music.
  5. (military, slang) Electronic signal jamming.
    • Signal definition
      A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel. (1 of 10 signal definitions)
  6. (US, slang, dated) Heated argument.
    • Heated definition
      simple past tense and past participle of heat
  7. (US, slang, dated) Fun; amusement.

Synonyms

Derived terms

 

Descendants

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Dictionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

music (third-person singular simple present musics, present participle musicking, simple past and past participle musicked)

  1. (transitive) To seduce or entice with music.

See also

References

  • music in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • music at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

Interlingua music definition

Pronunciation

Adjective

music (comparative plus music, superlative le plus music)

  1. musical, of, or pertaining to music.

Synonyms

Middle English music definition

Noun

music

  1. Alternative form of musike