DESCANT

descant, discant

(noun) a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added above a basic melody

descant

(verb) talk at great length about something of one’s interest

yodel, warble, descant

(verb) sing by changing register; sing by yodeling; “The Austrians were yodeling in the mountains”

descant

(verb) sing in descant

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

descant (plural descants)

A lengthy discourse on a subject.

(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.

(intransitive) To sing or play a descant.

Anagrams

• dancest, decants, scanted, stanced

Source: Wiktionary


Des"cant, n. Etym: [OF. descant, deschant, F. déchant, discant, LL. discantus, fr. L. dis + cantus singing, melody, fr. canere to sing. See Chant, and cf. Descant, v. i., Discant.]

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.

Note: 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", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Descanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Descanting.] Etym: [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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

4 March 2025

HYDRAULIC

(adjective) moved or operated or effected by liquid (water or oil); “hydraulic erosion”; “hydraulic brakes”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Plain brewed coffee contains almost no calories, while coffee with dairy products, sugar, and other flavorings is much higher in calories. An espresso has 20 calories. A nonfat latte has 72, while a flavored one has 134.

coffee icon