music

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See also: Music, Musić, músic, müziç, and mùșic

English

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Examples
a piece of music (Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture, performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra)
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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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. By surface analysis, muse +‎ -ic (“pertaining to”). In this sense, displaced native Old English drēam (“music”), whence Modern English dream.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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music (usually uncountable, plural musics)

  1. A series of sounds organized in time, usually employing some combination of harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, etc., often to convey a mood.
    I keep listening to this music because it’s a masterpiece.
    • 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 1:
      Muſick has Charms to ſooth a ſavage Breaſt, / To ſoften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
    • 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.
  2. (figuratively) Any interesting or pleasing 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.”
    • 1978 August 19, Kevin Warren, “A Flawless Production”, in Gay Community News, volume 6, number 5, page 15:
      Wilson's definite genius for rapid, witty dialogue which becomes a kind of conversational music at times.
  4. An art form, created by organizing pitch, rhythm, and sounds made using musical instruments and/or singing.
  5. A guide to playing or singing a particular tune; sheet music.
  6. (military, slang) Electronic signal jamming.
  7. (US, slang, dated) Heated argument.
  8. (US, slang, dated) Fun; amusement.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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

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

Adjective

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music (comparative more music, superlative most music)

  1. (rare) Musical.[1]
    • 1669, T[heophilus] G[ale], The Court of the Gentiles: or A Discourse Touching the Original of Human Literature, Both Philologie and Philosophie, from the Scriptures, and Jewish Church in Order to a Demonstration, […], part I (Of Philologie), Oxon [Oxford]: […] Hen[ry] Hall for Tho[mas] Gilbert, pages 136–137:
      Again, Moſes was the firſt that brought in ſacred Muſick: thus in like manner Strabo lib. 10. 453. informes us, that the Bacchick Muſick was famous throughout Aſia; and that many muſick Inſtruments had obteined a Barbarick name, as Jambla, Sambuke, Barbitos, Magades, &c. which ſeem all to be of Hebrew origination.
    • 1838 fall – 1839 summer, Jones Very, “The Unrevealed”, in Helen R. Deese, editor, Jones Very: The Complete Poems, Athens, Ga.: University of Georgia Press, published 1993, →ISBN, page 159, lines 4–9:
      Loosened / Thy tongue shall with sweet-flowing sounds surprize / The ear of sense; another than thyself / Will be seen within to have come, and bringing / Music tones from other spheres to have made / Thee ever the harp of hidden minstrelsy.
    • 1847, William Ellery Channing, “The Desert”, in Poems, second series, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, page 59:
      So should she drape the World’s wide round, / With sunny robes, and fresh Spring weather / And consecrate the loneliest ground, / While we went wandering linked together, / Her music voice, her beaming eyes, / Give to the Silence, glad replies.
    • 1851 January, Sarah J[osepha] Hale, “The Judge; a Drama of American Life”, in Sarah J[osepha] Hale, editor, Godey’s Lady’s Book, volume XLII, Philadelphia, Pa.: L[ouis] A[ntoine] Godey, act I, scene III, page 26, column 2:
      And therefore, prisoner, you are doomed for life / To solitary toil. Alone! alone! alone! / Love’s music voice will never greet your ear; / Affection’s eye will never meet your gaze; / Nor heart-warm hand of friend return your grasp; / But morn, and noon, and night, days, months, and years, / Will all be told in this one word—alone!

See also

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References

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  1. ^ “music, n. and adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

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Interlingua

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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music (comparative plus music, superlative le plus music)

  1. musical, of, or pertaining to music.

Synonyms

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Middle English

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Noun

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music

  1. Alternative form of musike
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