Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Descant
Des′cant
(dĕs′kănt)
, Noun.
1.
(Mus.)
(a)
Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or plain song.
(b)
The upper voice in part music.
(c)
The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble.
Grove.
Twenty doctors expound one text twenty ways, as children make
descant
upon plain song. Tyndale.
She [the nightingale] all night long her amorous
descant
sung. Milton.
☞ The term has also been used synonymously with counterpoint, or polyphony, which developed out of the French déchant, of the 12th century.
2.
A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments.
Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a
descant
! De Quincey.
Des-cant′
(dĕs-kănt′)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Descanted
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Descanting
.] [From
descant
; n.
; or directly fr. OF. descanter
, deschanter
; L. dis-
+ cantare
to sing.] 1.
To sing a variation or accomplishment.
2.
To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large.
A virtuous man should be pleased to find people
descanting
on his actions. Addison.
Webster 1828 Edition
Descant
DESCANT
,Noun.
1.
A song or tune composed in parts.2.
A song or tune with various modulations.The wakeful nightingale
All night long her amourous descant sung.
3.
A discourse; discussion; disputation; animadversion, comment, or a series of comments.4.
The art of composing music in several parts. Descant is plain, figurative and double.Plain descant is the ground-work of musical compositions, consisting in the orderly disposition of concords, answering to simple counterpoint.
Figurative or florid descant, is that part of an air in which some discords are concerned.
Double descant, is when the parts are so contrived, that the treble may be made the base, and the base the treble.
DESCANT
, v.i.1.
To run a division or variety with the voice, on a musical ground in true measure; to sing.2.
To discourse; to comment; to make a variety of remarks; to animadvert freely.A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions.
Definition 2024
descant
descant
English
Noun
descant (plural descants)
- A lengthy discourse on a subject
- De Quincey
- Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant!
- De Quincey
- (music) a counterpoint melody sung or played above the theme
Verb
descant (third-person singular simple present descants, present participle descanting, simple past and past participle descanted)
- (intransitive) To discuss at length.
- 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
- “… This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. I am sure, Lord Stranleigh, that he has been descanting on the distraction of the woods and the camp, or perhaps the metropolitan dissipation of Philadelphia, …”
-
- (intransitive) To sing or play a descant.
Quotations
- 1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, hardback edition, page 121
- Involving some interesting, intellectual trips, she was descanting lightly to right and left.